The Zylan Trap
by Astraldust
Summary: The team find themselves in a dire situation involving Alien beings. Shep bears the brunt of it because of his gene.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:- SGA still belongs to MGM and I'm still missing it.

Rating:- T for violence and nudity. No sexual situations.

Parings:- none. Team fic.

Timeline:- Set after EATG

No beta:- So mistakes are all mine. Hopefully there aren't too many.

The Zylan Trap by Astraldust

Part 1

John woke to the nastiest of headaches. The worst of the pain seemed to be focused just behind his eyes, so he stayed still for a minute or two. Not daring to move in the hope that the pain would ease off a little. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to want to go away, so he kept his eyes firmly closed against any bright lights he might encounter if he opened them too soon.

It seemed pain wasn't his only problem, for some horrible reason his head felt like it might explode at any minute. The pressure was so bad it left him feeling woozy and disoriented. So much so that it took him a good few minutes to realise that he couldn't recall anything since leaving Atlantis. Nothing at all. So where the hell he was and why he couldn't remember anything about the mission and what had gone wrong?

Eventually his brain registered something. Somewhere nearby there was the most goddamn awful pong. John didn't think it had anything to do with the infirmary because the smell had nothing to do with hygiene. However, his fuzzy brain just couldn't seem work out exactly what the stink was. It didn't smell like anything left out to rot but it was just as pungent and equally as smelly as any sewerage plant or Wraith ship. Although when he really thought about it, it was a smell he'd ever encountered before. Regardless the rancid pong was making him sick to the stomach, so much so that John felt like puking his guts out.

He fought to control the reflex by swallowing hard and finally opening his eyes. When he did so, the bad smell seemed pretty irrelevant compared to the fact he couldn't see a darn thing other than inky black nothingness. His breathing quickened to near panting as his heart pounded heavily in his chest. He lay petrified as all consuming terror threatened to overwhelm him. What the hell had happened to his eyes_?_ Then he suddenly realised there wasn't the slightest sound to accompany the solid black barrier, so had he gone deaf as well as blind? That thought didn't help his heart rate any. The increased pounding made his head throb to the frantic pulse of his heart. He knew he had to force his fear down and quickly because it wasn't doing him any good. Having a stroke wouldn't help him at all. There had to be a logical explanation and going into full panic mode wasn't the answer, although the situation was very disconcerting and totally freaky.

To help quell his fear, John concentrated on his breathing by taking in slow calming breaths through his nose. Then his fuzzy brain worked out that he could actually hear them, at least very faintly. So he took in a very deep breath through his mouth to test the theory. A big mistake as he could positively taste the bad smell. However much to his relief, the sweet sound of that heavy sigh reached his ears, meaning his hearing was still working fine, thank god. Hopefully his eyes were in the same healthy state and he was just being kept in a very dark, quiet room.

Another sensation began to return, one that had probably been there from the moment of awareness, yet John's confused brain had failed to register. He was lying on a very hard surface which for some reason felt extremely cold to his skin. But why was he feeling so chilled? Surely that shouldn't be the case unless he'd lost most of his uniform? Yet for some odd reason it was hard to tell for sure because when really he thought about it he felt kind of numb, almost detached from his body. Maybe he'd been drugged or his nervous system had taken a blow, although he certainly didn't have a problem feeling the incessant pain in his head or the sink in his nose.

Determined to find out if he was lying half naked, John attempted to move his arm. He began to panic once again when he realised it was restrained in some way. John quickly quelled his fear. With a bit of manoeuvring he managed to move his thumb enough to encounter his upper leg. His skin felt cold and totally bare. So he was missing his BDU's and most likely his TAC vest because unless he'd lost all sensation, he had a horrible feeling the rest of him was in the same state of undress. Very embarrassing indeed and making him even more confused about his situation because no way would his people have left him like this. At least they would have covered him with a blanket. So what the heck had happened? More importantly, what about his team? Where were they? They were distrubing thoughts. John wanted out. He tried moving his legs but they seemed to be restrained as well, leaving him with no other choice but to lie still.

Minutes ticked by in cold, dark silence while John strained to pick up the slightest sound that might suggest someone was nearby. There was nothing, not even the muffled sound of a distant noise or the comforting pulse of Atlantis. So even though it might alert someone if he was in enemy hands, he opened his mouth and attempted to call out. It came out as a pathetic croak and the horrible, throbbing pain behind his eyes spiked tenfold, making him think twice before trying again. Again he felt his panic begin to escalate. He hated being in these situations, not that he'd ever been left naked before.

Thoughts began to whirl around his aching head, some of them pretty alarming. Had he suffered some terrible head injury that had left him blind? If only he could remember what had gone down before waking up in this cold and silent hell. However, his memory stubbornly remained a total blank. Another nasty thought slowly crept into his mind. Maybe he was dead and this was his lot in the afterlife. Naked, restrained, and left to freeze. That sickening thought was enough to bring back the panic. What if they believed he was dead and he was in the morgue, being kept in cold storage waiting to be...? He didn't want to go there, it was way too nightmarish. _Buried alive!_ The type of thing one read in the National Enquirer. Not that John ever read such rubbishy tabloids. Give him a good comic book any day. Now he was being ridiculous which wasn't his usual style, but the situation was just too darn scary. There had to be a logical explanation because why in heavens name would they need to restrain a corpse? Which lead John back to the same old question, where the hell was he?

Thinking too much wasn't helping his headache. So he closed his sightless eyes and tried to switch off, which proved to be a pretty impossible seeing as he was getting colder by the minute. He gave up trying after a moment, snapping his eyes open, hoping for a miracle. Instead the pitch black seemed even more impenetrable. It left him feeling vulnerable and totally helpless, not knowing if an attack was imminent? With every passing second, John's fear and frustration began to escalate despite telling himself that panicking was pointless.

He felt like screaming, yet knew that would only make his headache worse and possibly alert the wrong people. Then strangely enough, a few minutes later that's exactly what he heard. Well, not exactly a scream but a long drawn out, loud groan. Had he done that? Although John was pretty sure the noise hadn't come from his mouth. He tried calling again. Pleased to find the pain not quite so intense this time.

"John? Oh, thank God, you're awake!"

So Rodney was in the same situation and the fact that he had used his first name showed just how terrified the scientist was. Although just as scared, John gathered his courage to try and reassure his frightened friend. "You need to stay calm, Rodney. I know it's very dark in here but there has to be a reason for it." Rodney didn't answer for a minute making John wonder if he had heard him. "Rodney? You still with me?"

John had no idea how shocked Rodney had been by his statement and was desperately trying to form a suitable reply, which for him was difficult enough being no diplomat and all. In the end Rodney just came out with it. "It's not dark in here at all. In fact, its way too bright for my liking and the source is directly over my face. Most annoying, although when you're unconscious like I was just a few minutes ago, it really didn't matter."

John felt his heart begin to race again. "What do you mean? I can't see a darn thing." Again, Rodney remained silent. "Rodney? Damn it! Answer me will ya. Are we in separate rooms or something?" But John already knew the answer to that because Rodney's voice had been too loud and understandable to be muffled by a wall or partition.

"No, we're not. I can't see you from my position but I know the table they have you on is adjacent to mine."

"Right." John tried not to sound overwrought but it still came out all wonky. His shaking grew more pronounced as fear and shock threatened to overwhelm his mind. He quickly pushed it aside, he had to have some answers. "Who are they, Rodney, and how did we get here because I can't remember a damn thing."

Rodney listened to Sheppard's shaky voice, so uncharacteristic for the die-hard colonel. Deciding John must be as terrified as he was, Rodney asked. "You remember nothing? Not even the crash?"

"No. I remember leaving for the mission but the rest is a complete blank? We crashed?"

"Yes, you did." Rodney tried to joke but thought better of it. "If you recall we left for what was supposed to be a routine recon mission to M5P 229."

"Yeah...you wanted to check out reports of a highly unlikely source of naquadah."

"Yes, yes. I know you really didn't want to go and I never got the chance to investigate because right after flying through the gate, we inexplicably lost all power to the controls. You yelled at me to get the power back up. I'd hardly got the panel down when we dropped like a stone. Guess you must have managed to glide in somehow but we still hit the ground with some force. Thankfully onto soft, sandy soil with no trees or boulders in the way, so miraculously the jumper remained intact. You must have banged your head on the control panel because you were still out cold when I eventually came to. Ronon was just staggering to your position after having checked on Teyla."

"Was anybody injured?" John asked, concerned.

"Apart from a few bruises we got off pretty lightly." Rodney assured him. "You suffered a nasty cut to your forehead but..."

"But what?"

"You didn't complain about not being able to see or any memory loss when you eventually regained consciousness a while later. Not that we had much time to talk before it happened..." Rodney stopped there, which was more than unusual for the over talkative scientist.

John felt his impatience's growing. "Come on, Rodney, before what happened? I need information here."

"Okay...okay, keep your shirt on." Rodney snickered nervously when he realised what he'd just said. Sheppard didn't react at all, so he continued, "I understand your need for info but how do I explain something that even I didn't understand and I'm a genius."

John sighed loudly. "Just put it in simple terms."

"Yes, well, you were still unconscious when we decided to leave the jumper and head back to the gate on foot. Ronon carried you while I took point and Teyla watched our six. I estimated we were approximately two kilometres away, so the trek shouldn't have taken very long only...we kind of lost track."

"You lost track?"

"Yes, we did...even Ronon was lost and you know how good his sense of direction is. But that's beside the point because it wouldn't have made any difference. What happened would have happened so or so, I guess...but all the same we shouldn't have gotten lost. We were going around in never ending circles like being in a..."

"Rodney, I get that...what happened?" Rodney's evasiveness was making John tenser by the second, as if he didn't have enough to worry about.

"We continued walking for what felt like hours, although it probably wasn't all that long but you know how much I hate useless trekking. At some point you regained consciousness and insisted on trying to walk by yourself. Of course you fell flat on your face after a few steps, so Ronon ended up supporting you."

"I...I can't remember."

"Yes, you already said that.

"Yeah, Rodney, I know. I must have been able to see at that point otherwise I would have mentioned something, wouldn't I?" _Unless I was totally out of it._ "Okay, come on what happened after that?"

Rodney racked his brain, trying to formulate the words to explain the strangest phenomenon he'd even seen. "Despite our best efforts we made no headway whatsoever toward the Stargate. It didn't matter how many different directions we tried, we never found it. By then you weren't much help as you kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Ronon ended up carrying you again." Rodney failed to mention that at that point he'd been panicking like a school kid stuck in a maze.

"Guess I must have had a concussion."

"Yes, more than likely. You know I consider myself the foremost expert on wormhole physics but even I can't explain what happened next. One minute we were trudging along still trying to reach the Stargate and the next, this strange energy field appeared directly in front of us. It shimmered like sunlight off a clear lake, fascinating, almost hypnotic."

"So you couldn't resist touching it?"

"No, I did not touch it. I have far more willpower than you do."

John swallowed hard because even after all this time he still carried some guilt over touching the crystal eternity. And Rodney knew it but John decided not to pursue the matter as this was hardly the time or place to mention it.

Rodney didn't seem to realise what he'd just said, which proved how scared he was. "I...err...we did venture a little closer, then it suddenly started acting like a huge magnet, drawing us in. We tried getting away, but it proved useless as the field just expanded around us. Teyla was sucked in first being lighter and I watched on helplessly as Ronon tried to fight against it while keeping a hold on you. He fought hard but you were plucked away from him like a rag doll. I don't know what happened after that because I was dragged into the field. I guess Ronon followed, although I haven't seen anything of him since awaking up here."

"And Teyla?"

"Haven't seen her either, so I don't know whether she's alive or not."

John swallowed hard at the thought that two of his best friends could be dead or worse. "So we've been abducted by someone?"

"You're telling me. I've never seen beings like them. They make the Asgard look like teddy bears."

"You've actually seen them?"

"Seen them, smelt them. It's positively sickening."

John screwed up his nose. "So that's the unpleasant smell around here. Can you try to describe them for me?"

Rodney didn't really want to think about it, although Sheppard needed the information. "I'm telling you they are huge. I mean in height, not so much in body weight. In fact they're quite skinny just like you," John let out a sigh but remained quiet as Rodney continued, "Except for their fairly thick, short necks. I guess they developed those because of their overly large heads. Their dark eyes are multifaceted like some insects but their skin is nothing like chitin. It's kind of glossy, and reflects their various shades of blue in a strange luminescent way.

"You mean they're blue like the guys in Avatar?"

"Not exactly. Some have more of a greenish tone and these aliens are no way as pretty as they were. Their mouths are huge too but they appear to have no teeth unless they have an inner jaw like the creatures from Alien."

John shuddered. "Don't go there, Rodney. I hope for our sakes they're nothing like those monsters. Have you tried talking to them?"

"Tried, but they don't appear to share the same form of language. In fact, all that came out of their mouths were a series of high pitched whistles, hoots, beeps, and barks."

"In other words we can't negotiate with them until we learn what their sounds mean. Just great." Rodney didn't comment. After a short pause, John asked. "Are you as cold as I am?"

Rodney drew in a deep breath and started to babble. "If you mean am I missing my clothes, then yes I am. I've never been so embarrassed in all my life. They could have left us with a little dignity. Just because they don't wear clothing doesn't mean we have to copy them. I just hope Teyla isn't in the same predicament. And I'm hungry. They haven't given me anything to eat or drink since ending up in here."

"Have you any idea how long we've been here? Wonder if Atlantis is looking for us?" John thought aloud without waiting for the first answer.

"Could be. Hope the rescue team doesn't end up in the same predicament. To answer your first question, I don't really know. I was out of it for some time before waking up on this table and then they knocked me out again. Only my stomach tells me it's been a long time. I'll be going to go into hypoglycaemic shock if I don't get anything to eat soon, and did I tell you I'm cold, really, really cold."

"Same here, Rodney." John remained silent for a minute or two after that. How could he help Rodney when his own situation was just as dire? He felt sorry for McKay but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Yet despite everything, John still tried to reassure his friend. "We'll get out of this somehow. We'll have to try and communicate with these beings, make them release us so we can go back home. I just wish I...I could see."

"I would feel more positive if you could but I'll be your eyes until you get your eyesight back, John. I promise."

That was so uncharacteristic for the usually egoistical scientist that it made John smile and relax a little. "Thanks, Rodney. Just warn me when the aliens return. OK?"

No sooner had John said that when he sensed a change in his friend's mood. He didn't need eyesight to know McKay was suddenly very afraid, possibly terrified by something as a series of high pitched whimpers reached John's ears. "Rodney! You okay? Tell me what's happening? Please!"

John heard a definite quiver in Rodney's voice when he finally spoke. "Kind of busy here. Surround by five of them. You must be able to smell them."

He could smell them. The stink was even more overpowering than before. John felt like gagging again but controlled the reflex, fearful of choking. Instead, he shouted as loud as his parched throat would allow. "Get your hands off him...!" He nearly said - you goddamn dirty ape, but Rodney had assured him there was nothing ape-like about the aliens.

"More like fingers." Rodney called out. "Six very long, bony fingers on each hand and they're very versatile, ambidextrous fingers. They love using them to touch and prod every part of us." Rodney sucked in a breath before whispering. "Oh my god."

"Rodney! What are they doing to you! Answer me, please!"

However, there was no answer forthcoming. John lay fearful in the dark, terrified for his friend. After what felt like an eternity of silence, he suddenly felt a slight draft of air upon his face as if something or someone was standing very close by. A soft, slimy object touched his forehead, immediately intense pain radiated throughout his skull like the worse kind of migraine. Unable to stop himself, John cried out. Thankfully the pain eased fairly quickly. The object touched to his forehead again, however this time there was no escalation of pain. Instead his saw a flash of light and for a second or two he could actually see the faint outline of a large bulbous, dark purple head. It gave him hope; maybe his eyesight wasn't so badly damaged after all.

However his hope was short lived as the inky blackness returned along with a pain so intense it felt like someone was drilling holes into his forehead with a power drill. He tried to fight through the agony but after only a minute or two he couldn't stand it any longer. His drawn out scream echoed loudly before blessed oblivion took away his awareness.

Tbc.

Hope you like the beginning? Please review and I promise to complete the story.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

"Oh, this is so embarrassing. Hand me over another of those leafy things and some twine."

John woke to the sound of Rodney's whiny voice. He stayed perfectly still for a minute trying to recall recent events. Hadn't he been talking to Rodney shortly before something horrible had happened to him? To both of them? He could vaguely recall something happening but the details seemed to be just out of his grasp.

Thinking too much was making his head ache so he gave up even trying, content to let the sound of Rodney's voice wash over him. It was both familiar and somehow very comforting. The surface beneath him still felt very hard and by the way his back ached something must have kept him unconscious for hours. He tried moving his arms; it appeared they weren't tied down any more. The realisation gave him small comfort as maybe his eyesight was back. So when he finally decided to face the world and open his eyes, his heart sank when the same inky black nothingness stared back at him. _So_ _he was still blind._ The disappointment threatened to overwhelm him. A slight moan must have escaped his lips because in the next instant, Teyla's warm hand wrapped around his icy cold one. _At least he hoped it was Teyla_.

"John, how are you feeling?"

_Yep Teyla._ Her voice was pure music to his ears. She was still alive, thank God. When he answered her, John decided not to underplay the matter and be truthful for once. "Head hurts like a bitch. I know McKay's here but where's Ronon?"

"I'm here Sheppard!"

John breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Is everyone okay?"

"Apart from our dignity we're all fine." Rodney answered for them. "You on the other hand...still can't see. Right?"

John nodded, immediately regretting the movement when a sharp pain drilled through his scull like a lightning bolt. He couldn't see his team's concerned looks as he winced and waited a good minute or so for the pain to ease off before asking. "So what's our situation?"

Teyla hadn't let go of his hand, she squeezed a little before she answered. It was almost as if she needed a lifeline as well as giving him some comfort, making John wonder about the seriousness of their predicament. "I am saddened to hear about your blindness, John, but I will help you as much as possible until it returns," she assured him. "We are in a large enclosure. The walls are made of a clear material not unlike glass. However after Ronon tried to break it, it is clear that it is not."

"Yeah, it's so hard I nearly broke my hand."

"Yes, well, maybe you should be more careful in future, Conan." Rodney scolded.

Ronon's growl echoed off the walls. "Had to try something. Hate being in this kind of place."

"Been in this type of place often have you?" Rodney said, with an undertone of sarcasm.

John held up his free hand. "Okay guys, let's stay focused. I need to know all the details, so will someone please fill me in."

Predictably, it was Rodney who spoke up before the others could. "You want the truth. Well...I think we're in some sort of specimen jar, only we're not the only ones. From what we can see and hear, from our not so clear vantage point, there are rows and rows of these enclosures. Most of them appear to be occupied by other unfortunate beings. Our enclosure is furnished to the bare minimum. Some very uncomfortable sleeping platforms like the one you're currently laying on, some greenery in the form of brushes which thankfully have some rather large leaves, sawdust like material on the floor and a few things that can only be described as play objects. As for facilities...well...there aren't any."

"We decided to gather as much of the floor material as possible and use the far corner behind one of the brushes." Teyla added softly.

"Yes, yes, but still highly embarrassing. I don't know what these aliens expect making us behave like animals."

John murmured. "Maybe that's because they view us as animals."

"Speak for yourself Sheppard!"

Teyla threw Rodney a scolding look as John turned his head toward the sound of Rodney's voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

If John could have seen McKay he would have noticed the slight blush on his friend's face. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just my anxiety talking. Forget I said it."

John's free hand shot to his face. He had a good idea why Rodney had said that as his fingers encounter the beginnings of his thick, dark facial hair. It wasn't his fault his Irish ancestors had been a hairy bunch. At least it meant he still had a full head of hair unlike McKay and his receding hairline. As the stubble felt fairly long already John began to wonder just how many days they'd been here_._

He wanted to ask but Rodney continued to babble before he could open his mouth. "At least they've provided us with some clean looking water and cube-like food stuff that tastes a bit like cardboard. It seems to provide all the nutrition we need and if you ignore the taste and texture, it's really quite satisfying. The worse thing is being without our clothes. We've already stripped most of the leaves to fashion some covering, but despite our many complaints, they still haven't given us our gear back. I feel really miserable and very vulnerable."

"I'm sure Teyla feels worse. And I hope you've given me some cover where it's needed?"

Rodney nodded then suddenly remembered that Sheppard couldn't see him. Ronon spoke up before he could. "Did our best. We've nearly used up all the leaves that don't protect the toilet area."

"Yes, Conan, if only you hadn't used up more than the rest of..."

"Focus, Rodney, let's keep on track and try to figure a way out of this. So you're telling me we're in some form of zoo?"

"More like research facility and they've only just started with the experiments." Rodney groaned. "We are so screwed."

Teyla recalled her trip to the San Diego zoo during their time on Earth. Torren had loved it, although Teyla had not been so impressed by all the beautiful creatures being kept outside their natural habitat. John had assured her that most had been born into captivity and that zoos kept animals out of necessity to assure the survival of some endangered species.

She still didn't like it, so when she spoke about their predicament it was with a certain amount of disdain. "I believe zoo is an appropriate term. Ronon and I have not been subjected to the experiments Rodney described but our living conditions are no better than those poor creatures I observed on earth. I do believe they were called chimpanzees. We have been kept in this enclosure the whole time, and on occasion a few of our alien abductors have viewed us from a type of moving platform. It has been most disconcerting. We have tried talking to them but they do not seem to hear or understand us."

"Yeah, we tried that too." John sighed. "I'm sorry about your predicament, Teyla. I know it must be hard on you. If only I could see."

That bought a smile to Teyla's lips. Worded like that it sounded like John was sorry he couldn't see her in her current near naked state. Yet Teyla knew that was not what he meant at all. It must be very hard for him being blind and so unsure. She squeezed his hand again. "I do not understand why you cannot see because you were not suffering from the infliction after the crash."

McKay interrupted. "Could be something hit him when we were sucked into the anomaly."

Teyla looked intently into John's eyes, which he was totally unaware of. "I do not see any damage."

"Ah...but that doesn't mean there isn't any. Then there's that attachment thingy," he said, pointing to John's forehead.

John felt his heart quicken. "What do you mean by...then there's that attachment thingy?"

"I...err..."

Teyla glared at Rodney and scolded. "I thought we agreed not to tell him until absolutely necessary."

John was beginning to get really worry now. "Tell me what?"

Rodney remained quiet, remorseful. Unable to tell his friend as Teyla gently moved her hand to stroke John's hair away from his forehead. She couldn't bear to touch the object just a few centimetres below. "There is some kind of small disk in the centre of your brow," she explained. "We have no idea what it is, and we dare not try to remove it."

John's hand shot up to touch the object. It felt cold and clinical against his skin. He suddenly felt faint, sick to the stomach and totally violated. What was the thing doing to him and why had they attached it? It was bad enough that they'd been captured and left naked but to mess with his head, now that was a whole new ball game. "I don't care what it takes, get it off me!"

"John, we are not sure what that will do to you. It could cause you a great deal of pain or even kill you." Teyla's gentle voice coaxed.

John turned toward the sound of her voice, hoping to portray pleading in his sightless eyes. "At least try. It could be the reason I can't see."

Ronon moved over to sit near him. "Are you sure about it, Sheppard?"

"Yeah, try it. I'll let you know soon enough if it causes any bad pain."

Ronon removed one of the few knives he still had in his procession. It had been well hidden within his massive hair. "Okay, I'm going to try and lever it off," he murmured. Slipping the knife between the metal and his friend's skin, Ronon hesitated until John whispered "Just do it." Words that left Rodney and Teyla with a sense of déjà vu as Ronon tried to prise the thing off using as little force as possible. Sheppard's scream echoed long and loud drawing the attention of several of their abductors. Unfortunately, the thing wouldn't budge and knowing it was causing his friend pure agony, Ronon quickly stopped much to John's relief.

It took what felt like hours for the pain to subside and when John felt remotely like talking, he gruffly whispered. "Don't think we'd better try that again. That literally felt like a knife in the eye."

Ronon's attention had been solely focused on his friend, so he never anticipated the energy surge from a shock rod set at maximum. His scream echoed loudly, before he slumped heavily next to Sheppard.

John jerked in response, crying out for information. Neither Rodney nor Teyla had time to answer him as they looked on helplessly as the knife was roughly pulled from Ronon's grip. Still conscious, the Satedan thrashed out and tried to stagger back to his feet. A few seconds later another jolt from the rod left him totally incapacitated. He lifted his head for second before slumping into unconsciousness.

John made an attempt to stand. Although he really didn't know the full facts, but he had sensed the aliens. Smelt them in fact, so he needed to defend his friends. He only made it to his knees when several bony hands roughly grabbed his arm and proceeded to drag him somewhere unknown. He struggled violently, kicking out, hoping to connect with the unseen foe and free himself. A sudden jolt of pain in his leg worked its way through his body. The intensity of it made John gasp with a drawn out bellow.

Teyla and Rodney watched in horror as Sheppard was roughly dragged through hatchway like an animal to the slaughter. The hatch quickly slammed shut, cutting off John's anguished scream in midstream.

Somehow it all seemed alarmingly final, making them wonder if they would ever see their friend again.

tbc

Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews. Keep them coming please.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the super reviews. I'm not overly fond of caged zoos either nacimyom that's why I wanted to put the team in this situation. I also believe we underestimate the intelligence of many creatures, just like the aliens in my story have.

As the aliens don't speak English or any other human language, I have written their speech in italics.

Part 3

Not too far from the teams' enclosure another alien stood silently observing them. He was known as Nekra. His responsibilities included the everyday care of the creatures this section. And although it wasn't the largest collection, he was very proud of the work he did.

When the enforcers had entered enclosure 42, the one that housed the latest acquisitions, Nekra had been concerned as to why they had removed the dark haired one with an unnecessary amount of force and cruelty. He didn't like what he had just witnessed as their methods went against the rules and his principals. He had never been cruel to any of his charges, no matter what. Sometimes he had been bitten or stung but it was caused only out of fear or for self preservation. Nekra continued to watch the new creatures noting their obvious distress. The shorter male was pacing while the female appeared to be tending to the unconscious male.

Being so intent with his observation Nekra didn't notice the approached of the head keeper until a bony finger latched painfully onto his shoulder. The head keeper's shrill whistle vibrated in his head. _*Why are you still here? Your duties should have ended some time ago_.*

Nekra turned and looked up into the dark, steely eyes of his much taller superior. He lowered his head as a sign of respect before replying._*Please forgive me, honoured B'Zarrn. I had trouble with the creature in unit 09. It attacked the Opi machine yet again._* It was only a small lie because although the creature had not attacked the cleaning machine recently, it did so on a regular basis.

A series of angry barks issued from B'Zarrn's huge mouth. _*You should keep a better control on the creature. It is merely a harmless scamp.*_

Nekra cringed inwardly. _*I will endeavour to control the creature better in future, honoured_ _one.*_ In B'Zarrn's mind it was always his fault. That was the trouble with being just a lowly keeper. Unfortunately, it also meant that he had very little to say about the work done on the many specimens they collected. However for once, Nekra plucked up the courage to make a request_. *May I speak of the new acquisitions in unit 42.*_ Surprisingly, B'Zarrn nodded his huge head. _*I believe they show great intelligence. To cover their bodies they are using Gari leaves.* _

_*Nonsense! The great head researcher himself has assured us of the creatures' primitive behaviour. Any attempt to cover their bodies is purely instinctive. For warmth maybe, so you may increase their environment by five degrees.*_

Nekra bowed his head once again. _*As you wish. But could the noise they make not be a form of language?*_

A long drawn out whistling sigh issued from B'Zarrn's mouth. _*You should not question the wisdom of the great researcher. If he says it is not a language, then it is not. Now leave. Go rest for the night before your late presence here is noticed.*_

Bowing again, Nekra quickly slipped away to head for his rest pod and the much need nutrition it would provide. However for the first time in his life he began to question the goal of the great research ship. Had the rules been broken this time? The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that the four bipedal beings without fur, scales and any other form of covering were highly intelligent. It was also possible that they may have had some form of clothing when they had been captured. But Nekra had no idea why was this knowledge was being hidden or for what motive. The Zylan directive had always been very strict, only non-sentinel life forms could be taken to be kept for research and observation.

Slipping into his pod Nekra attached the feeder into his mouth. As he sucked hungrily on the liquid nourishment he made up his mind, he would find out what was really going on with the creatures in unit 42. It would not be an easy endeavour, and he would need to persuade one of the researchers to help him. If he could do so, then a clue to the creatures' intelligence may be obtained because M'Bek, the head of research, had seemingly fitted the dark haired one with a monitor disk. The disk was mainly used to observe a creature's habits and wellbeing. It could also give the wearer a little jolt of discomfort should the creature misbehave. So obviously this particular individual was viewed as even more dangerous than the much larger male. Nekra had no idea why because the pitiful creature had looked far from threatening. However, through the disk it was possible to communicate with the wearer. If indeed they were using some form of language and if it could be translated by the great computers.

Nonetheless getting access would prove very difficult indeed as M'Bek kept a very tight control on all his test subjects. Regardless, Nekra was determined to help the creatures as best he could.

oOo

Sheppard's team waited anxiously with hardly any conversation other than expressing their growing concern. It been some hours now since John had been taken. When Ronon had regained consciousness and heard about his friend's fate he had gone ballistic, almost destroying their habitat in typical Ronon fashion. Until both Rodney and Teyla had pointed out that it wasn't helping their case any, as his behaviour could be viewed as that of a wild animal. The Satedan had calmed down somewhat after that, however inwardly, he still seethed.

Ronon's imagination ran vivid, envisioning all sorts of horrible things happening to his brother-in-arms. He knew Rodney and Teyla felt the same from their downcast and solemn behaviour. John meant an awful lot to them. It was impossible to imagine getting through this situation without the colonel and his problem solving abilities. Although how much help Sheppard would be, being both blind and with memory loss was questionable. Right now that didn't matter much they just wanted their team leader back safe and sound.

When the lights eventually dimmed to simulate nightfall and they still hadn't returned the colonel to the enclosure, their worry escalated tenfold. With some difficulty they settled down to rest, hoping that things would improve soon and that John would be returned to them. Then they must somehow convince their abductors to let them go, but as each tried to sleep they knew that would not be an easy task.

Sometime during the night a sudden noise roused the team from their fitful sleep on the uncomfortable platforms. It was the unmistakable sound of the hatchway being opened. Then without due care, Sheppard was thrown into the enclosure like sack of useless garbage.

A mad scramble ensued as they all tried to reach John first. They pretty much arrived together and were shocked by what they saw. Even in the dim light they could see Sheppard's uncontrolled shaking as he lay curled up in a foetal position.

Teyla reached out to carefully touch his shoulder. The action made Sheppard cringe and roll-up even tighter. His reaction shocked her further but she quickly pushed her fear aside to speak softly, trying to reassure him. "John, you are back in the enclosure with your team. Let us help you onto your sleeping platform."

Sheppard didn't react to her words. In fact, he began trembling even more, making the team wonder what he may have endured, as this behaviour certainly wasn't normal for the strong minded colonel. Naturally, the teams' apprehension grew, especially when several whimpers escape John's lips.

Teyla's concern centred on the fact that his skin felt extremely cold to the touch. She knew they needed to get him off the floor as quickly as possible, even though the enclosure wasn't cold. In fact, the temperature was kept at a comfortably suitable level for them. It even seemed a little warmer of late. However, if John had been exposed to a very cold environment or was suffering from extreme shock then they needed to get him quickly warmed up, which wouldn't be easy without blankets or clothing.

Teyla tried again. "John, please let us help you." When he still didn't react she turned to Ronon. "Can you lift him onto the platform?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Rodney looked on helplessly as Ronon scooped his friend up, concerned when Sheppard didn't even fight the motion or attempt to help despite nearly slipping out of the big man's grasp. The scientist rushed forward to support John's lanky legs until they managed to settle him onto his platform.

Apart from returning to his former tightly curled position, John didn't react at all. His tremors and whimpering didn't cease either. In fact, they got steadily worse.

With an unspoken agreement, the team stayed by his side giving comfort and warmth until the increased light heralded a new day. It was then that they saw evidence of abuse all over John's body in the form of contusions, grazes, a multitude of cuts, and most alarming of all, several needle tracks. And that was only on the parts of his body they could see, hopefully he was hiding nothing more serious under his tightly curdled posture.

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

The sound could only be described as birds. Their sweet twittering filled the void that seemed to stretch forever in John's aching head. The cheerful songs seemed to urge him on as if the birds were calling for him to face reality. However, John was reluctant to leave this place of blissful oblivion. He wanted to stay forever locked in non-existent tranquillity; nothing could hurt him here. Yet even as those thoughts entered his brain, John knew he just couldn't give up. He had people to care for. His team, they would need his help if they were to ever escape this dreadful place.

That knowledge alone finally drove John to prise his eyes open. Then reality struck like a hammer. He still couldn't see a darn thing, which was odd as he could clearly remember being able to see during what could only be described as his torture. Very odd indeed.

Despite the small glimmer of hope regarding his eyesight, his body began to betray him when the tremors returned full blast. He was still curled up on his side and just couldn't keep still, shaking violently from head to toe. Gentle hands quickly descended to give warmth and comfort. Voices tried to calm him, to reassure him. It took what seemed like forever but eventually John managed to get the shakes under some semblance of control.

He wasn't used to feeling like this. So weak and helpless. It embarrassed him the hell out of him because it was so out of character. On the other hand, it was probably a normal reaction after the events he'd experienced in that awful lab. The finger prodding, sample taking, cutting and instrument probing of every inch of his body. It was on par to his torture at the hands of the Taliban and more recently Kolya. However, no Wraith had been involved this time, but you didn't always need one of those to induce a feeling of terror.

Hands encouraged him to lie partially on his back and John felt his head lifted. Cool water trickled into his mouth and he welcomed it, swallowing greedily before whispering. "Is that birds?"

The team exchanged a smile at such a normal sounding question. Typically it was Rodney who replied. "Their enclosure is right next to ours and they're driving me mad with their incessant noise."

John gently shook his head to indicate he didn't agree. They were still alive to enjoy their noise and for once he grateful for the distraction.

Teyla smiled even though John couldn't see her as she encouraged him to take a little more water. Holding the container to his shredded, bloody lips she frowned at the signs of abuse all over his body, making her wonder what he had endured to make him bite down so hard. She decided not to ask him until he broached the subject.

Ronon had covered him with a piece of the gauzy material they had found near the hatchway after their food had been delivered a short while ago. It was a strange material. A little like muslin let much finer. But whatever, it had been most welcome and they had quickly shared it around to fashion some clothing. At least it was better than the leaves, which were going brown and brittle after days of use. When John was ready, Ronon planned to make some shorts for him just like theirs but it seemed the colonel was still very sensitive to their touch. They would need to tread very carefully, even though it seemed he was slowly coming back to them.

John turned his head away from the container indicating that he'd had enough. Then he whispered so softly that his team nearly didn't catch it over the loud bird song. "I'm not blind. They're just keeping me that way. I don't know why."

"That's good to hear. I...err...mean the not being blind bit." Rodney clarified.

"Would you like to tell us how you know this, John?" Teyla encouraged.

"I could see what they did to me." John said no more. He raised his arms to wrap them tightly around his chest. He wanted to drift away and forget, but it seemed that wasn't possible as the memories stuck like a persistent tune, repeating over and over in his tortured mind.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder. John flinched at the contact and tried to move away, he didn't like being touched at the best of times. Yet who else could it be other than one of his team? He was being stupid, but he couldn't help it. His nerves were shot and he began to wonder if he could ever be the same again.

Teyla's beautiful voice washed over him like a soothing blanket. "John, please let us help you. I am sure talking about it will ease some of your torment."

John knew the wisdom of her words, although it didn't make things any easier. He'd always been a very private person, preferring to bury bad memories in the back of his mind and not talk about them. However, this time maybe Teyla was right. A burden scared is a burden halved, or so they say. He would keep it simple and not give all the gory details. No need to alarm McKay more than he already was.

Finally, he shifted into a less cramped position and cleared his throat. Despite doing that his voice was still rough and croaky when he told them. "They…they didn't use an anaesthetic, not even a local one."

The team shared a look and Rodney went as white as a sheet. "What did they do exactly?"

"You don't want to know, Rodney."

"John, it would help if you tell us a little."

John ran his hand through his hair. It felt lifeless and dirty. "I know that, Teyla, but...," Resigned, he sighed and swallowed hard to ease the soreness of his dry throat before saying, "They took samples. Lots and lots of them from various parts…like having biopsies without any pain relief. It hurt like hell, especially when they used long needles. They didn't seem to care even though I was screaming my head off some of the time. It was a nightmare."

"Oh, my God."

"Exactly, Rodney. That's why I didn't want to tell you."

Teyla took his hand and stroked it. "I can fully understand that John, but you have told us some of it now. I only hope it will help you eventually come to terms with it."

John nodded and turned his head away until Rodney softly asked. "How did you cope...I mean get through it?"

John thought about it for a minute. "I didn't," he whispered. "Eventually the pain became too much and I lost consciousness. Believe me at one stage I would have even welcomed death rather than their torment. We've got to find a way out of this."

Everyone wholeheartedly agreed him before remaining silent, each member trying to come up with a solution. Even Rodney had nothing to say as he was still attempting to come to terms with John's torture. Knowing if that future lay ahead for him, then he was a dead man as he certainly wouldn't be able to cope.

Teyla broke their silence, her tone portrayed her annoyance. "How can they not see that we are intelligent? We fashion clothing, try to keep our environment clean and yet they still treat us like animals. Not giving us a chance to try and communicate with them."

Rodney nodded. "I smell a rat. They must have recovered our equipment, which included my laptop. That alone should have proven my great technical skills and...err…our aptitude. Which means…?"

"They don't care." John finished for Rodney. "Obviously intelligence, great or not, doesn't count in their book. They just take poor unfortunate beings that happen to cross their path. This time it was our misfortune. Which brings me back to how the hell do we escape?" The team exchanged a silent shrug forgetting that John couldn't see them. "Well, hasn't anyone got any ideas?"

Ronon grunted. "Sorry, but nope."

"Rodney?"

"As much as I hate to admit it I'm totally stumped, which is very unusual for me."

They fell silent after Rodney's confession, the situation seemingly hopeless.

John moved slightly and uttered a sharp gasp. Teyla immediately reacted. "Are you in great pain, John?"

"Just a twinge it caught me by surprise. Generally the pain is not so bad now. I think the attachment acts as a kind of pain reducer or something because believe me I should be in agony. The damn thing didn't seem to work when they took their samples. Although, I think they removed it for a while because that's when I could see." What could anyone say to that? So his team didn't, which John fully understood.

Silence stretched between them as each member remained deep in thought. John didn't like to disturb them but his discomfort was growing with each passing minute. He felt totally useless. Something he really hated, especially now as the call of nature required him to ask for help. In the end, he had to ask or face the embarrassing consequences. "Could someone please help me stand, I need to use the…err…private corner."

Ronon was first to react, "Yeah, sure." He proceeded to help John up, fumbling to keep the gauzy material around his waist.

John frowned. "What are you doing?" Then he remembered. "Am I covered?"

"Yeah, you're fine."

It was the first time John had stood on his legs for goodness knows how long and the change of position left him light-headed and somewhat queasy. He stumbled and swayed on unsteady legs as Ronon helped him over to their corner. Once there his friend assured him that he was well hidden. John straightened and eventually got his balance steady enough to take care of business on his own.

When he was finished Ronon lead him away a few steps, then stopped and pressed the gauzy material into his hands. "What's this?" John asked.

"Material. Found it near the hatchway this morning. We've fashioned it into some clothing." Ronon answered in his usual succinct manner. "Need to make you some shorts."

"Okay. That's better than the leaves I guess."

John tried not to sway too much but he felt positively dreadful as Ronon fashioned the material around his lower body. It took all his effort just to stand upright for so long. By the time his friend had finished, he was trembling and very grateful when Ronon helped him stumble back to the sleeping platform. He wanted to fight it. At least stay sitting upright and alert, after all his team needed him, but it took no effort at all for Teyla's gentle hands to encourage him to lie down again. Despite his best effort, John drifted back to sleep almost the minute his body touch the unyielding surface.

The big guy didn't say anything but Rodney and Teyla knew from the look on his face that things were bad. But why was the colonel being targeted? Had John done something to inadvertently annoy the aliens or was it because they recognised him as being the senior, if only by a year. At the beginning Rodney may have been a victim too but he'd been left alone for a few days now. Although that didn't mean he was out of the woods and Rodney knew it, making him unusually quiet and very pensive.

oOo

Nekra watched from afar, pleased that the creatures had utilized his gift so well. He knew there could be repercussions if M'Bek found out. However, Nekra had an answer for him as the insect spun cloth was used in many of the enclosures for decoration and shelter, so why should he treat the new additions any differently from his other charges. Nekra just hoped the material would not be removed and M'Bek would recognise their great need for it.

_*The new species in enclosure 42 are fascinating are they not?*_

Nekra nearly jumped out of his skinny frame at the sound of the young researcher's shrill whistle. Being so engrossed watching the creatures he had not noticed or heard Ebloc's approach. He managed to answer, although a little higher pitched than normal. _*Yes, they are indeed.* _

_*Have you been into their enclosure yet?*_

Nekra wondered if this was a trick question. *_I must win their confidence before I can do that. I am not so sure they will not harm me. The big male seems especially strong."_

Ebloc bowed his head. _*Very wise, keeper. I was there during the first examination and look what happened.* _He held up his left hand showing two missing digits. _*A nasty bite has the smaller, dark haired male.*_

_*Surely it did not bite so far down?*_

_*No, but the resulting infection meant an amputation was necessary. The surgeons have culturing some new digits for me. They will be ready for attachment this very day.*_

Nekra sympathised with soft endearments, as Ebloc could be the researcher to convince, if he could forgive the small act of aggression. _*Maybe the creature was just fearful for its life.*_

Ebloc tilted his head slightly as if contemplating an answer. _*Not its own life but that of its companion, who in great fear was crying. M'Bek implanted the monitor disc after the attack on my digits. The effects have been quite dramatic. It seems the creature has been rendered sightless by the disc.*_

Nekra bowed his head in sadness._ *Is that not a bit cruel?*_

_*Maybe. Some creatures only learn through harsh treatment.*_

Nekra didn't like his sentiment as their ancestors had not conducted their research in such a careless manner. _*You said you were present during the first examination? Were they without any form of covering when taken?*_

Ebloc gave the keeper an intense look and barked. _*Too many questions you ask. Why does it concern you?*_

_*I am concerned for all the creatures in my section, honoured researcher. Why should I not be interested in their care? Does it not seem a little strange that they display some intellect by the things they do?*_

_*Like trying to cover their bodies? The species in 599 do exactly the same thing. Yet they are most certainly amongst the dullest creatures we have in our great collection. No keeper, they are no more intelligent than the flying primates we recently acquired. According to M'Bek all tests have proven it.*_

Nekra tried not to show his disappointment as he racked his brain for an answer. _*I do not work with those flying creatures, so I have no way of comparing them. However would it not be a challenge for you to try and communicate with the species in 42?*_

_*M'Bek would not allow such a thing.*_

_*He need not know. You have access to the terminals, could you not feed a link into their enclosure somehow.*_ Ebloc looked ready to object, so Nekra thought quickly. _*Just think of the honour if you were the one to make first contact.*_

_*I am thinking of the disgrace when I fail. M'Bek would demote me back to research in V section and I hate working with viruses.* _

_*But if you succeeded M'Bek would be forced to promote you to one of his senior staff.*_ Then maybe the poor creatures would be allowed to return to their home, Nekra thought.

*_Give me time to consider your suggestion.* _With that Ebloc walked away, leaving Nekra to continue his observations and to contemplate what the future may hold for his newest charges. Quite frankly he was still very concerned for their welfare, especially the dark haired one.

tbc.

Again thank you for those very welcome reviews. Please keep them coming.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

John woke after an undefined period feeling like death warmed over and even worse than before. Every bone in his body seemed to ache, including his skull. His skin felt hypersensitive as if a thousand needles were embedded just below the surface. He still felt queasy and shudders rippled through his body from time to time. Although he was pretty sure they weren't caused by shock this time, which probably meant he had a fever. Great, that's just what he needed on top of everything else.

He had no idea what time it was, whether day or night as he'd lost all sense of time days ago. Not that it mattered; his memory of the crash and capture was still a total blank. So regardless of the time he called out, despite not knowing if his team were asleep or not. "Where are we?"

"What do you mean, where are we? Oh my god, his memory of our confinement has gone too!"

That was Rodney's frantic, overly loud voice. Seeing as he had answered immediately, probably meant it was still sometime during the day cycle. John sighed loudly before speaking. "That's not what I meant, McKay. I mean where are we being held? Are we on a planet somewhere or is this a large ship?"

"How should I know? What am I an expert on alien abductions all of a sudden? God it's bad enough being stuck here, now he wants to know where we're stuck." Rodney muttered. Then he paused for a minute, knowing he was being totally unreasonable. "If you want an educated guess then I would say we're on spaceship. Isn't that what all the movies depict?"

"This isn't a movie, McKay."

"Have you no other reason to believe that this is a ship, Rodney?" Teyla asked sweetly in order to keep the peace between her boys.

For once the brilliant scientist was stumped for an answer. He shook his head. "Err…um…nope."

Teyla moved over to John, warning him before touching his brow. She was getting concerned as he looked somewhat sickly and slightly flushed. Although he tried to hide it, she could see him shudder from time to time. Feeling the sweaty dampness of forehead, she whispered. "I believe you have developed a fever."

"Yeah, I know," he whispered back, "but don't alarm the others." Teyla nodded and squeezed his shoulder. Although gentle, the action made him almost gasp at the intensity of the discomfort it caused.

He thought he'd managed to control it without Teyla's knowledge. However, she had the benefit of her eyesight and didn't miss the tension her touch had caused him. "Are you in pain, John?"

He decided not to lie. "My skin feels really sensitive. It's as if the nerve endings are on fire. Sure hope it passes soon. I guess that means I was wrong about the attachment thingy dulling pain. Could be they gave me something for pain before dumping me back here and it's wearing off." Although why afterwards and not during the torture, he thought to himself but he didn't say anything about it to his team.

John didn't see the worried look on his friends' faces. Rodney and Ronon had both heard, and yet what could they do? They had nothing to help him, not even a pain killer. So John's confession just added to their concern. To some degree the worry was responsible for Rodney's foul mood, which in turn made his sarcasm stronger and his fuse a little shorter. It wasn't very long to begin with, especially when it came to dangerous situations, worry about his friends, or dealing with idiots. The other bad mood factor was frustration. Although he should be used to these situations by now, after all he had been captive on many a Wraith Hive, he just wasn't.

Rodney desperately needed something to do. Anything to take his mind off their dire situation, but apart from slowly going out of his mind or asking the team to play I spy with my little eye, which would be a big insult to Sheppard, all he could do was sit slumped on his sleeping platform and stare at his bare feet while he contemplated the unfairness of the Universe.

Even without the benefit of his eyesight John knew his team were frustrated. Their situation was bad and although usually optimistic, he was beginning to wonder if there really was a way out for them. He let the silence remain. The birds must have stopped singing some time ago because only the odd cry or tweet from other enclosures disturbed the peace. That was until a new noise started up, one that John hadn't heard before. It sounded mechanical to his sensitive ears, like a whirling of gears and the clatter of wheels.

John broke the silence with a question. "What the hell is that?"

McKay's head shot up, he had something to do. At least answer Sheppard's question. "That's the cleaning machine. It comes out of its tiny little hatchway every day, right on the dot to clean up our…"

"Yeah okay, I get the picture, Rodney. It sounds clumsy and overly loud."

"You're telling me. They may appear advanced but that robot machine looks like something out of a badly made B movie. All riveted panels and spoke wheels. Still it does the job well enough, thank God."

John was thoughtful for a moment. "Have you tried taking it apart to see what makes it tick?"

"Err...nope, why should I?"

"Well, maybe it contains some component that we could utilise as a weapon. At the very least it would show them you're intelligent."

Rodney snorted. "Oh fine, I'm sure I don't want to disable the only thing that's keeping this place habitable, even for your precious weapon, Colonel."

John licked his dry lips and sighed. "It was just a thought. They would probably stop you from doing it anyway." A sudden shiver made him positively shake. His teeth clattered loudly. John didn't know whether the others noticed or not, but with each passing minute he was beginning to feel decidedly more and more dreadful.

Rodney noticed all right but he didn't know what to say. He was never good around sick people, so he simply answered. "Besides I have no tools. Difficult to undo nuts and bolts and the like with your bare hands."

Ronon grinned. "I still have the knife we used to cut the material. Just promise to keep it out of sight."

"What! I haven't agreed to anything yet."

"But you will." Ronon growled. "Sheppard's right, it could show them we ain't no animals."

"No, we ain't." Rodney replied sarcastically. Then he let out a loud sigh, it would give him something to do. "Oh alright, give me the knife and I'll see about dismantling the thing. Maybe I could make something to open the hatchway."

John snorted, which nearly caused a coughing fit. Eventually getting his voice back, he murmured. "Wishful thinking, McKay."

Rodney didn't reply to that. The next thing John felt was Teyla's hand softly land on his. "Would you like some water?" He nodded, willingly taking a sip from the container she held to his parched lips. It quenched his thirst, but did nothing to cool the fever or quell his queasy stomach.

A moment later Rodney cursed and a loud clatter of gears whined. "Need help here!" Ronon was quick to react and between them they soon had the robot machine subdued and powered down.

Using the knife Ronon had given him, Rodney quickly prised the outer casing away. What he saw inside turned his stomach and he thanked his lucky stars that he had nothing much to bring up. Somehow a mass of repulsive looking, pink glutinous matter had been crammed into an inner compartment. The thing had been attached to the outer casing by a series of tendril-like lines, which now leaked various obnoxious fluids that stank to high heaven. The mass pulsated for a moment before giving one final quiver and turning a sickly dark grey.

Rodney didn't think he'd ever seen anything quite so revolting. "Oh, this is just great! The thing may look primitive on the outside but believe me the inner tech was far from it. In fact, I'd say it was organic and I've just killed it."

John let out a big sigh, which came out more like a groan as another sharp pain caught him by surprise. His voice sounded gruff when he asked. "How did you manage that?"

Intent on the robot, Rodney didn't noticed John's expression of pain. "Oh, I'm sorry, I killed it on purpose because it keeps our…."

Ronon grabbed his arm. "Can it, McKay. Sheppard didn't mean it like that."

Rodney looked up, his eyes falling on John at last. He looked at his friend's positively ashen complexion and the beads of sweat that covered his body. It left Rodney to wonder when he'd missed John's rapid deterioration. "Sorry. It was no great feat. Simply removing the outer casing did it."

"I hope they do not punish us." Teyla whispered.

No one answered. They simply exchanged a worried glance, except John who looked almost resigned to his fate. In truth, he was now worried sick about his friend but in far too much pain and discomfort to concentrate.

There was nothing Rodney could do about the machine, so he quickly replaced the outer casing and asked Ronon to remove the thing as far away as possible. His hands were covered in some of the fluid and he fussed, muttering something about being doomed, and used up far too much water trying to clean them off.

Rodney's frantic hand scrubbing and rants didn't stop, so he failed to notice that the others had gone deadly silent. When he finally turned around, he faced a long thin body in a pale shade of greenish blue. Somehow the colour reminded him of the Wraith, but these aliens were far more malnourished in appearance. He looked up and cringed under the two insect-like eyes that were locked onto his. "Oh my God! It's come to kill me!"

Hearing Rodney's desperate shout, John struggled to sit up. Teyla's firm hand prevented him from leaving the platform. "It is all right. The alien has not made an aggressive move yet. In fact, it has both hands held up in a pacifying gesture."

Grateful to hear that, John sank back onto the platform. Even that small amount of effort had left him trembling and breathless. "Keep...me...informed," he whispered.

Teyla assured him. "I will." Although she wondered how much help John would be if it came down to protecting Rodney. Ronon one the other hand had his knife firmly grasped in his hand. The alien didn't seem to notice. Teyla shook her head, warning the Satedan to wait and see what transpired before acting.

Nekra observed, careful to make no aggressive moves. He knew that was vital if he wanted to install trust. The seconds ticked by, leaving the keeper even more convinced of these creatures intelligence, especially the one who had accidentally killed the _Opi_ machine. A problem he'd have to deal with before the head keeper found out. Luckily he had secretly cultured another _Opi_ for such an occasion, so it should be easy to replace.

Then Nekra spared a glance at the dark haired one. The creature didn't appear too healthy. It looked deadly pale beneath the growth of dark facial hair. The sweat that glistened on its forehead was plain to see as it lay almost lifeless on the sleeping platform. He didn't know why it had fallen so sick but it looked like it required the help of a healer. To obtain one Nekra would need to report the problem to one of the researchers. He quickly decided Ebloc would be the one to contact, as he had no desire to involve M'Bek. In the meantime, he had to get the _Opi_ machine out the compound and replaced as quickly as possible.

Nekra took a careful step toward the useless machine, which the creatures had carefully hidden around the back behind the only _Gari_ plant left with any leaves. A sound from the female halted him in his tracks. Nekra turned and observed her wild gestures as she pointed at the sick one. Sounds came from her mouth and the other males joined in. The sick one simply cringed and covered its ears as if their sounds were painful to him.

Nekra observed their gestures. It didn't take a researchers knowledge to know what these creatures were trying to say. Their concern for the sick one was very obvious. *_I will speak to Ebloc about getting help,* _he whistled. Of course they didn't understand him, except maybe the sick one who seemed to stare directly into his eyes. He sensed power and leadership behind that look. The creature portrayed great intelligence even though it was obviously truly blind. What had the Zylan become to cause such suffering on this helpless being? Feeling the weight of guilt bear down on his slender shoulders, Nekra quickly picked up the machine and left.

The moment he was gone, Rodney piped up. "Well, that went well. Now we're left with no cleaning machine."

"Rodney, I am sure he will repair it soon. At least you have not been punished." Teyla reassured.

"Ha, that's only a matter of time."

John shook his head, immediately regretting the movement when it caused a wave of dizziness. "No, I don't believe so. I felt absolutely no malice from him."

Rodney looked incredulous. "Who are you now? Obi wan Kenobi?"

"I wish then I could use the Force and get us out of here." John thought about it for a moment. How could he explain the strange contact he'd just undergone? "I can't really say what it was but I kind of sensed that he was trying to communicate. It wasn't words exactly, more like a telepathic reassurance. I'm pretty sure he's going to try and help us."

"Oh right, pardon me if I'm a little sceptical here, but you've got a fever and all..."

"Rodney, I may have a fever but I know what I felt."

Teyla shot the scientist a disapproving look. "I believe you, John. You are not one to make up fantasies, even when incapacitated."

John sighed. At least one of his team still had faith in him. "I only hope he really helps us get out of this mess."

"I too for all our sakes. How are you feeling?"

Deciding to be truthful as he probably looked like shit, John replied. "Dreadful. As well as the hypersensitivity there's a sharp pain in my back and it's slowly getting worse."

"Would it hurt too much if we take a look?" Teyla asked.

John really didn't want to move but the pressure of the platform wasn't helping matters. "Go ahead. Maybe I'd be better off lying on my side." Teyla gestured to Ronon and between them they gently turned John onto his side so that he faced them.

The movement changed the angle of his neck. John shifted to get comfortable, misjudged and banged his head a little too hard on the edge of the platform. For a fleeting second he caught the outline of Teyla's hand before it disappeared again.

Teyla never noticed John's puzzled look as the evidence of his back pain became apparent. An incision in the right kidney region must have become infected as it looked very red and angry. The skin around was puffy and probably very tender to the touch. It was just one of the many small wounds covering his body. So it was possibly only a matter of time before the rest ended up in the same infected state.

Teyla turned away from the sight. She didn't know what to do as she had no sterile water or dressings. "We have found a reason for your fever," she told him. "It seems you have an infection in one of the wounds but I dare not try to treat it as I have nothing to use. I can only hope the alien gets you a doctor."

John nodded tiredly. He really was sick of this; he just wanted to go home. He moved his hand to gently probe his forehead. "How big is the disc? Is it anything like a Jaffa's symbol?" John thought it might actually be cool if he looked a little like Teal'c.

Rodney answered before the others could as he probably had more knowledge of what John meant. He knew his friend needed some bolstering, so as John couldn't see Rodney could fabricate the details a little. In actual fact the disc was pretty dull and uninteresting but he told him. "It's slightly smaller and made of some really cool looking shiny metal with a patterned..."

"Okay, I get the picture." John interrupted.

"Yes, but why did they remove it?"

"Don't ask me. I only thought they may have taken it off because I could actually see for a short while." John paused for a minute before adding. "I'm not so sure the disc is the cause anymore."

"Why?" His team nearly asked together.

"Because I got a flash of light and some vision after knocking my head slightly, so just maybe my eyesight will return regardless."

There were a few comments from his team but John didn't add to it. He was getting drowsy so he settled down to rest, letting their voices drift over him. The pain still gnawed in his back but for now he could cope and just pray for a miracle.

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

*_We need to summon a healer for the dark haired one.* _Nekra pleaded.

Ebloc looked at him as if he'd gone mad. _*Why speak of this matter to me? If things are as bad as you say then you must inform M'Bek. Although be warned he will not react as he no longer cares for that particular creature's welfare. He has made it plain enough that the important ones are the younger breeding pair. I believe he has other plans for the noisy one, and he will no doubt wish to dissect the body of the sickly one once it has expired.* _

Nekra grew alarmed. *_But why, honoured Ebloc? It is of great intelligence! It would be such a waste and you agreed to help establish proof of intellect.*_

_*I agreed to no such thing!*_

_*But...*_

Ebloc held up both hands, a sign that the keeper was to remain submissive. *_I said I would consider it. I have and I am not willing to risk my career on such __an improbable _ notion. The master researcher has assured us they are merely acting on primitive impulses and I see no reason to not believe him.*

It was hard to read the face of a Zylan. However, Nekra's showed both disappointment and bewilderment because how could M'Bek so influence a free thinking, young researcher like Ebloc? Of course the power of the master had been growing for a long time now. M'Bek's manipulation and malpractices were causing changes to their long established creeds of conduct. Therefore, Nekra felt he just couldn't leave it there. He had to say something more on the matter even if it got him into trouble. *_It saddens me greatly that you feel that way. I strongly believe that in this case M'Bek is very wrong. He is hiding something, although I do not know why.*_

_*You do realise I could report you for such talk,* _Ebloc held up his hands again to forestall any interruption, _*But I will not because you are generally an excellent keeper. You care greatly for the creatures in your section and that is the main goal of the Zylan research vessel, to boldly go forth and learn about all life in our vast universe.*_

_*All life that is non-sentient.* _Nekra clarified._ *You know that rules well enough, honourable Ebloc. The creatures in unit 42 are very aware of their surroundings and I repeat, they are intelligent. In fact, I am sure the large male's strange hair is fashioned in such a way and is not naturally grow so. The same could be said of the others for I am sure their hair is trimmed and styled.*_

Ebloc snorted. _*They do not need intelligence to do that. The dark haired one's hair in particular is very messy, wild almost as it sticks up of its own accord. And the large male has shown very primitive responses in his behaviour.* _

Nekra sighed inwardly._ *I believe his behaviour stems out of fear or frustration. I am sure they can prove their intelligence if given some writing materials or puzzle tests. Better yet, set up a means to communicate with the dark haired one.* _

_*I thought you said the creature is very sick, possibly dying?*_

Nekra shook his massive head. *_Not yet but he will eventually without the proper care and the right medicines.*_

Ebloc thought long and hard. _*I am sorry, I cannot risk defying M'Bek.*_

Nekra gave a cry of distress and bowed his head. _*What have we become when creatures are no longer tested for their intelligence because of the will of one researcher? I believe in the past this would never have happened. Even the commander and his crew now turn a blind eye to M'Bek's power and influence.*_

_*Watch what you are saying keeper!*_

_*No, I will not as you know it to be true. M'Bek grows more powerful with each passing day. Have you not questioned why the commander allows his continuous cloning?*_

Ebloc's answer was quick. _*He is the greatest of our researchers, so it has always been allowed and the commander knows that.*_

_*But for so long? Is it not true that M'Bek is over eleven thousand sequences old? I believe the cloning process has taken its toll on his mind. So I am beginning to question M'Bek's judgement and sanity.*_

_*Be warned that such comments are treasonable, Nekra. If M'Bek or even B'Zarrn were to become aware of your subversion, then you could be expelled from the ship and left to survive on some remote planet in this galaxy.*_

That was very true but Nekra made one last attempt to sway the researcher by appealing to his ego._ *I do not consider my beliefs rebellious. They are the truth and you know it. M'Bek has ruled for far too long. Is it not time for such a great researcher as you, honoured one, to take the lead? Just think of it, if you could prove that the bipedal creatures in 42 are more than they seem, you could become famous.* _

_*Or expelled from the ship like you.* _Ebloc stopped to consider his next move. *_You are fortunate that I like you, Nekra. I will not become directly involved, however, I will obtain the medicine you require and the necessary equipment to communicate with the dark haired one. Although I think it will be a pure waste of time, but should anyone find out, you will not mention my name. Is that understood?*_

Grateful for even that small amount of help, Nekra nodded his agreement. However, would it be enough the save the dark haired one?

oOo

John's back was becoming one intolerable knot of pain. Although he had a high threshold, this was bad and he honestly didn't know how much longer he could stand it. He was no great fan of powerful pain killers, but right now he longed for something to take the edge off his suffering. An alarming thought entered his head. What if he never got any relief before things got really, really unbearable? Even he had his limits of endurance. He vaguely wondered how he would be able to cope. If the fever and sickness didn't get him beforehand, then he would consider asking Ronon to end his suffering. Negative thoughts maybe, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Teyla sensed he needed some contact, and even though he normally didn't welcome it, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Immediately she felt the tension in the ridged way he held his body, it left her feeling helpless. She knew he was in a great deal of pain, yet there was nothing she could do to alleviate it other than give comfort. His shaking seemed to be even more evident, probably caused by increased fever and maybe even toxic shock. She felt like shouting in frustration. To scream at the emotionless creatures that sometimes appeared beyond their prison cage. However, logic told her that would do no good. Better to remain calm and hope for a miracle. Yet it was hard watching the man you loved slowly die from lack of care and treatment. She had admitted to herself a long time ago that she loved him, had done almost from the very moment she had meet him. And she knew John had strong feelings for her but in his usual reserved way, had difficulty expressing that love other than through his care and protection.

As he had never openly expressed any romantic feelings toward her, and had regularly flirted and occasionally dated others, she had kept her love under tight control only to surface as the fondness one would have for a brother or dear friend. In choosing Kanaan she had taken the safer route, cowardly maybe but probably more acceptable to her people. Although they greatly admired and thought highly of John, Teyla strongly believed that they would not have been quite so happy if she had chosen him as her mate. And in truth, she also loved Kanaan.

At the time of her pregnancy it had been oblivious that John had been deeply his hurt by her decision. However, his never-ending support during that grim and worrying time when her people had been missing had strengthened their trust and friendship making them truly inseparable. So it was always difficult for her to watch him suffering.

Deep in thought, Teyla failed to notice the change in her companions' mood. Rodney had been awfully quiet anyway, his own worry for John and their future making him unusually submissive. With Ronon it was always difficult to tell but his loyalty and brotherhood to John was plain to see. It was their united voice that first alerted Teyla to an alien presence within their enclosure.

She bent close to John and whispered. "An alien has returned. Although I have no way of knowing if it is the same one as they all look very much alike to me."

John swallowed hard and turned his head with difficulty to where he hoped the tall being stood. He quickly found the link of understanding. The creature was the same one. Through his veil of pain, John gathered his thoughts and projected a plea for help.

A flood of suffering hit Nekra like a physical blow. The creature seemed to be in agony and the keeper knew that he had to do something to help him quickly. He concentrated hard, sending his own message of reassurance. A message he hoped relayed the fact that he meant them no harm. When he was sure the creature understood, Nekra carefully held up the medicines and an injector for the others to see while keeping his back to the large viewing window so that none of his fellow Zylan's could witness his actions. The noisy one began to squawk. The female quickly joined him. Of course their sounds meant nothing to Nekra. Then the sick one made a sound and he sensed his approval.

John spoke as loud as he could to get everyone's attention. "If he's got medicine I'll risk anything to get some relief. I have nothing to lose, so please don't interfere."

Teyla threw Rodney a warning look before reassuring John. "We will not. I only hope his medicine will help free you of your pain."

John nodded as Teyla moved aside to allow the alien to approach. A few minutes later John felt a slight tingle against his arm, it happened a couple of times and he tensed up not knowing what had really caused it.

Rodney noticed Sheppard's apprehension. So making up for his earlier negative attitude, he explained. "The alien thing has just used some kind of pressure injector. No needles this time, thankfully."

John was relieved to hear that. He didn't say anything for a good few minutes as a strange kind of warmth rapidly spread throughout his body. Then for the first time in many hours, the agony began to dissipate. It gave him enough strength to reprimand McKay. "That alien thing could be our ticket out of here, so please don't call him that again."

Rodney actually looked a little ashamed. Of course John couldn't see it. "Is the medication helping you?" he quietly asked.

John sighed. "Yeah, thank God."

His team smiled their thanks and although it was hard to tell, the alien appeared to return their smile. What he did next was unexpected. He suddenly lifted his large head and looked toward the window. Apprehension flashed across his usually emotionless face and without warning, he dropped the injector and a container of some kind under John's sleeping platform and quickly left.

From Ronon's standing point of view he had seen what had spooked the alien so badly. He told his companions. "Some other alien just appeared on the viewing platform. Must be his boss or something, guess that means he's acting alone and didn't want to get caught helping you Sheppard."

In his typical caring manner, John murmured. "Hope he doesn't get into trouble because of it."

"I do not believe the boss or superior will have seen anything unusual." Teyla observed. "Have they moved away yet?"

"Yeah, but give it a few more minutes before retrieving the container." Ronon advised.

Teyla waited until Ronon finally nodded before grabbing the object. She turned around so that she was facing away from the viewing window and popped off the lid. Inside was a very normal looking cream, it even had an antiseptic smell about it. "I believe this is for putting on your sores, John."

John nodded even though he really didn't know what Teyla was referring to but he trusted his team. He felt Teyla's hand descend upon his back as she spread some kind of cool cream over it. Although the injections had killed the general pain, when she reached the infected wound in his kidney region it still hurt like hell. He gritted his teeth against the sharp pain and tried not to moan.

"I am sorry if it hurts you. I can only hope this cream contains something to help fight the infection." Teyla tried to make out the strange markings on the container. "I do not know how often it must be used?"

"If it's an antibiotic then only one or two times a day." Rodney piped up.

"Yes, you could be right. We must find a place to conceal it and injector otherwise someone other than our alien may find it."

Rodney snorted. "How would we tell? They all look the same to me. And it's going to be difficult to conceal seeing as we..." He suddenly stopped and clicked his fingers. "That play object over there. Is it hollow?"

John was confused. "What play object?"

"Oh, didn't we tell you? The aliens left us a ball, some short rope and a toy of some very ugly animal. I think it's made out of some type of plastic composite."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Nope." Ronon answered before Rodney could. "Don't know why they put them in here but nothings useful as a weapon."

"Not even the rope?" John asked.

"It was useful for tying the leaves together but it's too fragile to make a weapon. Already snapped one piece in half."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Well, if you hadn't tugged it so hard."

John sighed. "Okay guys, stay focused. So you think you can hide the stuff in the toy but isn't that just as risky?"

"Don't think so. They haven't touched the objects since we've been here." Rodney answered him.

John wasn't so sure. "How about burying it in the soil surrounding the plants?"

Once again Rodney shook his head, completely forgetting John's blindness. Teyla sighed and explained the situation. "I do not know what for plants they are but they do not grow in normal soil."

"It's a bit like hydroponics." Rodney elaborated.

John suddenly yawned. "Okay, play toy it is then." His pain had eased to nearly nothing but now he found himself growing increasingly drowsy. Panic began to set in. Was the medicine really meant to help or was it a way of taking him out permanently? John tried to fight it, tried to tell them of his concerns but before he could say anything, he fell into a deep slumber.

Teyla smiled as John's body relaxed. At least he seemed to be free of his pain for now. "Sleep well, John. We will keep a watch over you."

tbc

_Thanks again for those lovely reviews_ _folks. _


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Nekra moved as quietly as he could down the long and winding passageway that lead towards his section. He carried an inconspicuous looking container under his arm and slung over one shoulder was a small cube shaped object that bounced with every lolloping step he took. His thoughts drifted back to his encounter with the head keeper the day before. It had been a close call, so apart from providing the necessary food and water Nekra had steered well clear of enclosure 42. B'Zarrn had asked him far too many unnecessary questions regarding the creatures care, but Nekra had been fairly certain he hadn't been seen doing anything he should not have. When he had mentioned the dark haired one's ill health, B'Zarrn had appeared totally uninterested making Nekra suspicious of his involvement. In fact, he had seemed somewhat surprised that the creature hadn't died yet.

The whole incident had meant that he would have to be extra careful in future regarding his interaction with the creatures. He was only thankful that B'Zarrn had not removed him from their care, as he still intended to try and communicate with the dark haired one. Furthermore, he still had to smuggle more medicine to him as one doze would not be enough to counter the infection. Hence this early morning visit.

Arriving at the hatchway a few minutes later, Nekra carefully double checked to see if any other keeper was nearby. The area seemed deserted and quiet apart from the Sintra birds who were singing to welcome the beginning of a new day. It was a noise Nekra loved to hear as it conjured up visions of thick lush forests teeming with life. Not that he'd ever seen anything like it other than from the history files of their home world. Although the bird song was music to his auditory sensors he often wondered if the other inhabitants found them too loud and annoying. Sometimes he would notice nearby creatures covering their ears in an effort to deaden the sound, and that included the noisy one in 42.

oOo

John woke abruptly, surprised to be still alive. He remembered panicking somewhat just before darkness had claimed him. Yet when he really thought about it, it had not been the darkness of unconsciousness just the normal need for sleep. He tested his feelings and although the pain was still evident, his back felt less tender and the fever seemed a bit lower so it appeared the medicine must be helping. Now he wondered just how long he'd been asleep and what time it was. Once again he had no means of knowing. It was still very quiet apart from the joyful bird sounds, so probably early in the morning.

He lay still and quiet for a moment until his extra sensitive ears picked up a slight clicking noise, followed by a rustling sound that seemed awfully close to his sleeping platform. John tensed and his heart began to thump as his mind conjured up all of sorts of horrors brought upon by the memories of the alien lab. If it wasn't for the bird song he could well imagine he was back there. Relief came when he heard Rodney fussing. Then the rotten smell he'd come to associate with the aliens assaulted his nose, meaning one was nearby.

Rodney confirmed it a short while later when he said. "Oh thank god! You've brought back the cleaning machine. I promise I wouldn't touch it again."

Nekra finished stowing away the _Opi_ machine and cocked his head. The noisy one was making his sounds again; it was almost as loud as the birds. Nekra still hadn't a clue what he meant but with the aid of the recording cube, the great computers should eventually work out their language. He had switched the device on as soon as he had entered the enclosure. The more sounds it managed to record, the better. The noisy one would certainly help in that direction.

In the meantime, Nekra needed to get more medicine into the sick one. He held up two vials containing the liquid medication and vaguely wondered what the creatures had done with the injector. They seemed to understand him because the noisy one picked up a play object and quickly retrieved the necessary item, which had been cleverly hidden within. More proof of their intelligence. When another string of loud sounds came out of the creature's mouth, Nekra looked at him in a perplexed manner and squawked.

"It needs to be sterilised." Rodney repeated. "Oh for heaven's sake, this is just so frustrating."

"Getting worked up about it ain't gonna help."

"I know that, Ronon, but..."

"Rodney, don't draw attention to what he's doing. Just trust him." John whispered. He wasn't feeling so hot all of a sudden and he realised his pain was slowly escalating. From what Rodney had said he guessed the alien was here to give him another dose. He certainly wouldn't say no but hoped it wouldn't knock him out like the last time.

Rodney reluctantly slid the injector toward the alien's seven toed feet. "Don't blame me if you get another nasty infection from the unclean injector," he informed Sheppard.

Before John could reply, Teyla said. "Rodney, I believe the alien is fully aware of the need to sterilize."

Rodney looked up to see a blue hand carefully wiping the tip of the injector with a wad of cotton like material before clicking a vial into the chamber. "Oh, forgot it's pressure control, so I guess it won't harbour quite so many bad germs as a needle would," Rodney observed.

"Right now I really don't care." John whispered.

Teyla looked at him with concern. "Has the pain returned, John?"

John slowly nodded. "Yeah, wasn't so bad when I first woke but now it's getting..." He winced as another wave of pain rippled through his back.

As if Nekra had understood John's words, the alien approached and swiftly injected his arm. He repeated the procedure with the other vial and gave a short whistle. John nodded his thanks and waited for the medication to ease the stabbing, throbbing pain.

Teyla noticed the alien looking around as if checking for the all-clear before he indicated the container of ointment she was holding. She quickly opened it and then proceeded to cover John's back wounds. She was pleased to see that the infected sore seemed a little better this morning, not quite so inflamed and swollen. Nekra nodded his head and left with another sound.

The ever observant scientist was quick to observe. "Umm...wonder what that box shaped object was?"

John murmured. "What box?"

"The black cubical object he had slung over his bony shoulder."

"Maybe it's his lunch box." Ronon suggested.

"Oh ha...ha, always thinking of your stomach."

"You can talk, McKay." Ronon growled back.

John listened to their friendly barter. It was somehow very comforting and as hard as he tried, the medication soon sent him back into the healing arms of sleep.

oOo

John slowly opened his eyes to the usual darkness, once again having no idea how many hours he might have missed in deep slumber. He tested his feelings and breathed a sigh of relief at being virtually pain free. His fever seemed to be down as well.

He lay there for a while listening for any sounds. It seemed awfully quiet, but surely he hadn't slept through the day and into the night. He hated being sightless as it gave him no perception of time or his surroundings. The sounds of his team were missing too. Not even the odd snore or cough. He began to wonder if everything had happened to them, which set off alarms of panic and worry. Anxious to find out, he propped himself up on his elbow and called out.

"It is okay, John, we are still with you." Teyla's sweet voice reassured him.

Hearing her comforting words, John relaxed and sank back onto the all too hard surface. "Sorry, thought you were gone. How long did I sleep?"

"You have been sleeping nearly all day. I believe it is now early evening, although it is hard to tell. The lights are a little less bright but they have not switched them off yet."

"Why were you all so quiet?"

Teyla sighed. "Rodney is sleeping already as he claims there is nothing better to do and Ronon was trying to meditate with me."

John smiled at that. "Ronon must be really frustrated by now, totally bored out of his mind with inactivity."

Ronon's disgruntled groan reached John's ears. "I most certainly am." He said no more and John guessed he might be in a bad mood.

"How do you feel, John?"

"The pain is..." Teyla suddenly took his hand and whispered that the alien was back before he could finish his sentence. John tensed a little as he felt the intrusion of the mental link. However this time clear words formed in his head, giving him quite a shock as it was totally unexpected. And although the words were not exactly grammatically correct, the understanding was clear enough. *_Afraid be not_. _I...here help you.*_

John sent a mental message back, keeping it very plain and simple. *_Can you get us out of this place? We do not belong here. We are intelligent. Therefore we do not like being locked up and kept like animals without our clothing and equipment. Also I do not like this object, whatever it is.* _He pointed to the disc on his forehead.

Nekra issued a shrill whistle, waking the sleeping scientist. He had been right all along, these creatures were highly intelligent. *_I try. Sorry, understand I not why researchers not see you as no animals.* _

John didn't know that Rodney had moved to his side until he asked. "What the hell are you doing? Why are you staring oddly into space?"

"Because the alien is communicating with me telepathically."

McKay replied, way too loudly. "Really! Just tell him we want out of here." Ronon growled in agreement and Teyla add her pleas. Now there was hope.

John assured his friends. "Already done so." He then concentrated and continued the weirdest conversation he had ever had, even though it was giving him a slight headache. *_I am Colonel John Sheppard. The others are my team mates. Teyla Emmagan, Doctor Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex.*_

Nekra had no idea what the words were as the translator program failed to recognise them. It came out gibberish but he guessed that maybe they were titles or names, so he supplied. _*I Nekra. A keeper of you and other life finds. What life form you? *_

John guessed he meant he was a zoo keeper and he wanted to know what species they were. _*We are humans. Can you please get our things and let us go?*_

_*Not I. Me only keeper. Must try I in telling commander. He more power. Now I give drug. You...better yes? Only one more.*_

John tried to work that one out. *_Yes, I feel better but I need this thing off my forehead.* _Again he pointed to the metal disc._ *And please tell your commander we want to go back to our home planet via a Stargate.*_

Nekra looked confused as the translator failed to recognise the last sound, he ignored it to say. _*Monitor disc stay to talk you.*_

_*A monitor disc? And is this the only way we can communicate?*_

Nekra looked sad. _*Our speaking very strange for Lant and Nekra...different.*_

John wondered why he had just called him a Lant, must be some weird glitch in translation, however that was being achieved. He decided to ignore it for now. _*Yes, I get that. Is this disc making me blind or is there another reason?*_

_*I not know. Researchers may know. I give you pressing drug now. Then Nekra must flee before be seen.*_

John guessed he meant an injection. _*Okay, but please help us.* _He felt the sight pressure of the injector against his arm before more words formed.

_*Try I. Already help you. Head researcher want you not get better. Dead. He cut you up for study. Others, noisy one, younger ones safe.*_

Cut up for study - that didn't sound good. Horror memories of the laboratory quickly sprang to the fore and John shuddered at the thought. Yet despite his grim outlook, John was relieved to hear the news concerning his team. He felt Nekra's touch leave his mind and presumed the alien had left. At least they had an ally now. Although they weren't out of this yet, not by a long chalk. Especially him it seemed.

"Well, what did he tell you?" Rodney got in quickly before the others could ask.

John got his voice under control for his teams' sake. "Not much to tell really. It's exactly as we thought. They think we're some kind of non-intelligent life form. You guys are safe for now but for some reason it seems they still have other plans for me."

Concerned, Teyla asked, "What kind of plans?"

John didn't want to alarm them, so he didn't mention the being cut up part. "I think they want to do more research on me."

No one had a reply for that, they all remembered how emotionally disturbed John had been when he returned from the last session. Their fear for him was evident as they looked at each other with concern. Of course, John never saw it as he filled them in on a few more details before the need for yet more sleep overtook him.

tbc

Wow thanks for all the lovely reviews of the last chapter. Things aren't looking too good for our Shep are they?


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

Nekra could have rejoiced. His theory had been correct, they were intelligent and their noise was a form of language. In fact, he had been puzzled as to just how quickly the great computers had processed the sounds. It was almost as if the base language was already known.

*_What were you doing, keeper?* _

The shrill whistle of the head keeper stopped Nekra in his tracks. His two hearts quicken their pace. *_I was concerned about the creatures in 42...*_

_*I am well aware of the amount of time you spent in their enclosure. Tell me why a mere keeper should need to spend so long with one group of animals?*_

Nekra felt his annoyance escalate at the presumption of the head keeper. To call him a mere keeper was an audacity. The only difference between them was the fact that B'Zarrn was in charge of this section and the handful of keepers under him. And although he had more connection to the researchers, B'Zarrn had no more rights concerning their work than he did.

When Nekra answered he couldn't keep his contempt from sounding. *_I noticed a problem with one of the new acquisitions, it seemed to be ailing. Fortunately, the creature appears to be gaining strength without any help.*_

B'Zarrn didn't seem to notice Nekra's scornful tone but his answer was very sceptical as if he didn't believe the keeper. _*That is most unexpected. I know you said it received no help, but the last time I looked it seemed to be dying. It was a very sickly specimen to begin with and was not expected to survive. For that reason M'Bek gave strict orders that the creature was not to be helped in any way, so I sincerely hope you did not interfere, keeper? *_

Nekra tried to keep the guilt out of his answer. _*Like I said it was not helped. The creature did not seem diseased to me only that it may have been damaged during capture or,* _Nekra whistled very softly_, *during the earlier research work done on it.*_

_*Be careful what you say. Master M'Bek carried out that work and he is always very careful and vigilant. The welfare of his subjects always comes first.* _

Nekra nearly spluttered as in the case of the Lant that just wasn't true. *_I am truly sorry, but I believe that not to be the case. When the dark haired one was returned from the second examination it was in a very bad state. There was evidence of incision, infection, and abuse all over its body.* _

B'Zarrn looked very displeased indeed, making Nekra worried that he may have gone a little too far. The last thing he needed was to be removed from his workplace. However, when B'Zarrn spoke it seemed to be only a warning. _*Enough of this. I will not hear another negative sound regarding Master M'Bek's work. Over the centuries he has done more for our great research vessel than any other Zylan. So be warned, Nekra, anymore of this talk and I'll see to it that you are banished and left to live the rest of your life on some suitable world in this galaxy. As for the sick creature, I believe M'Bek will take it away soon regardless as he has grown very impatient that it has not yet expired.* _

Nekra grew alarmed but held his tongue. Keeping his face neutral he merely nodded. If he wanted to save the Lant he needed to make a plea to the commander himself and soon.

oOo

John nearly whooped for joy, he was standing unaided at in what felt like a lifetime. Apart from the few unsteady trips to their corner, this was the first time his legs hadn't folded under him. And although his strength was still far from normal, he was getting there at last. Now if only he could regain his eyesight then they could plan a way out of this awful place.

Although one member of his team didn't seem quite so confident in his ability to stay upright, as Rodney was fussing by his side as if John was about to collapse on him. John ignored him to wonder why the keeper hadn't tried to reconnect as it had been quite a while now since his last visit. Needing to distract McKay, John turned to where he sensed him. "Tell me what's going on outside the enclosure right now?"

"Not a lot. By my reckoning it must be late afternoon in the ship's slightly shorter than average day cycle." Rodney's heavy sigh was enough to nearly bowl John over. "Believe me, there have been enough days with nothing to do to other than observe the comings, goings and general routine of these aliens." He looked to the watch he no longer had. Old habits die hard. "Well, if I still had my watch or any other timepiece for that matter, it would say it's about time for some more of those delicious bricks they pass off as food around here. I'm getting more than a little fed-up of eating those things."

Ronon growled. "Same here, McKay, but at least they aren't making us sick."

John nodded in agreement. Today was the first time he had tried some of the stuff and although unappealing in texture and taste, at least they had quelled his hunger somewhat. He needed to eat more of them to gain his strength for whatever the head researcher still had in store for him. Thinking about that triggered the usual jitters and they marked the beginning of full blown tremors if he didn't get them under control, so he breathed deeply and attempted to clear his mind. He had to remain strong for the team, no matter. Rodney didn't seem to notice John's unease as he went on and on about the lousy food and their appalling living conditions.

John got his panic attack under control and quietly reassured him. "We'll get out of this somehow, Rodney. Just try not to draw attention to yourself. OK."

"Yes, right. Stop twittering is that what you mean?"

"Yep. The more noise you make, the more they may grow tired of it."

Rodney gulped hard. "They don't tire of those damn birds so why should they grow tired of me?"

John sighed and lowered his head. For a fleeting second he thought he saw a flash of light and his feet. It had happened on and off for a few days now but in the last hour or so it was getting more frequent. However by the time he'd lifted his head again, the darkness had returned. So had an unnatural silence from his team, John immediately sensed their unease? "What's wrong guys?"

No one answered as their attention was solely focused on a couple of tall, slightly darker skinned aliens that had just entered through the hatchway. A few seconds later their target became clear enough when without a moment's hesitation they headed straight for Sheppard.

Ronon didn't hesitate either. Unfortunately his knife was across the enclosure safely hidden under his sleeping platform but that didn't mean he was helpless. Launching himself at the nearest alien, he hit out powerfully with both his feet and fists. There was no way he would let them take Sheppard again.

Teyla followed suit with several vigorous kicks to the vulnerable, spindly legs of the second alien. The creature growled in pain. Regrettably it didn't go down as Teyla had hoped. Instead it turned to glare at her.

Rodney looked on helplessly as he moved to place his body protectively in front of John. "We've got two aliens in the enclosure. I can only guess they've come for you," he informed his friend.

John nodded. "From the sounds of it, Ronon and Teyla must be fighting them off?"

"Yes and they seem to be winning at the moment."

John was worried though, he didn't want his teammates injured trying to protect him. As much as he really didn't want to go with the aliens, he shouted. "Ronon, Teyla, stop it! It's a losing battle. They'll only send in more." And sure enough the minute John said that, several other aliens spilled into the compound, armed with rod weapons.

Ronon remembered them only too well from his previous encounter. Knowing how effective and painful the weapon could be, he quickly backed off. Although it left him very distressed by the fact he was now helpless to save his friend.

Teyla felt the same. She moved over to John, placing her hands firmly on his forearms, needing the contact to show him that she was all right and that they cared. Hopefully the aliens recognised the gesture too.

Rodney and Ronon certainly did. Moving to stand near John and Teyla, they stood protectively in front of them baring the way.

The alien guards looked uncertain as this behaviour hinted of intelligence. Despite that they had their orders, bring the weak one to the main laboratory immediately. They would follow M'Bek's orders without question as they had their own reasons to fear the head researcher. So with weapons held out for protection, the guards cautiously approached the small group.

Rodney and Ronon backed up, putting themselves closer to John. "You're not taking him." Ronon growled.

"I'll second that." Rodney added bravely, although he hadn't a clue as to how he was supposed to stop them.

"I appreciate your concern, guys, but I don't want anyone getting hurt on my behalf."

Teyla gently squeezed his arm. "John, we cannot let them take you."

John looked down at her and smiled. He could just make out the faint outline of her beautiful face, meaning his eyesight was slowly improving. He didn't tell her that he could see her. He just simply moved his hands to rest on her shoulders as he lowered his forehead near hers. Not actually touching though because of the damn disc. "Thanks," he softly whispered.

It was a gesture of closeness that John rarely displayed and Teyla felt wetness in her eyes at the sadness of the situation. Deep down she knew they didn't stand a chance of protecting him. And although he tried to put on a brave face, she could feel tension and his tremors through her hands.

oOo

Nekra stood glued to the spot, shaken as he watched the enforcers move into the Lants' enclosure. He nearly applauded at the valiant attempt made by the others to protect the dark haired one, but it was to no avail as they were totally outnumbered. So they surrounded their friend, trying their hardest to shield him. The guards even hesitated for a moment but that didn't last long. Armed with shock rods, two of the guards drove them aside while two others roughly grabbed their friend. Nekra's eyes clouded with sorrow at the courage of the dark haired Lant. He didn't even resist as he was pushed toward the hatchway amid the squawks of the noisy one.

Nekra waited until the guards were gone with their victim before rushing over to the enclosure. Checking that no one was watching, he quickly slipped the hatchway lock into the open position before taking off as fast as his lanky legs could carry him. He had a mission and he needed to do it quickly.

He had never been to the command centre before as Nekra had never had a reason to do so. Yet like all born on the ship he knew the way well enough. Unfortunately, being a lowly keeper meant he had no access to the inter-ship transport system, so he had no choice but to leg it. His passage took him down endless passageways and through other sections, attracting the attention of animal and Zylan alike. Paying them no heed, he ran by the world that housed all the insects and the one with all the plants. He dashed on through the main aviary, using it as a short cut. The startled birds squawked loudly, flapping their wings at the intrusion. Next on route was the section that housed the silicone life forms with their many odd shapes and brilliant colours. After that the virus centre that everyone disliked so much. There Nekra nearly caused an accident when he collided with a researcher carrying a tray full of vials. He quickly apologised and continued onwards toward his goal that seemed so far away.

But would he be fast enough to save the dark haired Lant? Doubts began to form in his mind, even if he contacted the commander would he be able to convince the officer of M'Bek's misdeeds. He knew it would not be an easy task but the keeper was willing to try for the sake of the poor creature he had come to greatly admire for both his courage and strength.

oOo

Teyla felt hot tears form in her eyes. She blinked them back trying to be brave for the sake of the others. John had been so courageous, yet somehow she had known from his expression that he had been holding something back. Something the keeper had told him. And yet even when faced with his own terror, John had put on a strong front for them. She hung her head in sorrow at the thought she may never see him again and began to whisper a silent prayer for his salvation. Until Ronon's words caught her attention.

"Did you hear that click?"

"Probably some clicking, poisonous bug or something. Would just be our luck." Rodney moaned.

Ronon took no notice of him. He had already moved to the hatchway, surprised when it slid open easily. "Come on, we've just been given a way out of here. Let's go find Sheppard."

"What! We don't even know where they took him."

"I don't care, McKay. Even if I have to tear this place apart I'll find him." Ronon said before heading through hatchway.

Teyla had already gone through. She stood in a narrow passageway cautiously looking around, making sure it was safe to leave. When Ronon appeared she signalled the all clear just as Rodney decided to join them.

"Okay, which way do we go then?"

Ronon didn't answer McKay as he used his sense of direction to try and visualise the layout. He knew the scientist was probably right about it being difficult to locate Sheppard, but Ronon wasn't about to let that deter him. The place seemed massive. Although if they steered clear of the animal enclosures, then they might just stumble upon the laboratory McKay had described. It was a safe bet that Sheppard had been taken there. Ronon just hoped they located it before anything too awful happened to his friend.

tbc.

_Thanks to the reader who pointed out my little error in the last chapter and thanks again for the reviews. Keep them coming folks._


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

John remembered the cold. The bone chilling iciness that spread to the very core of his being. The same unyielding surface pressed painfully against his still aching back. Again his arms and legs were tightly restrained with strong, unyielding binders. And to cap it all someone had thoughtfully removed his makeshift shorts.

For now it appeared he'd been left alone. Even so John couldn't keep the fear from showing in his eyes. He could see a little clearer now, although he didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Sight meant that he would be able to see the terror coming straight for him. Whatever, he knew he was in for some very bad treatment once again and this time probably a slow and painful death.

The very thought set his shakes off. He tried to control them as he didn't want to show them any weakness or that he was truly terrified. Not an easy task when you're lying totally vulnerable and naked with some maniac aliens about to descend on you with some very sharp, pointy instruments. Then suddenly as if to confirm his worst fears, a huge bulbous head came into his line of vision. It was heavily scared and as ugly as sin. The alien's cold eyes locked into his and its stench threatened overwhelmed John's senses.

John saw the glint of a knife in the corner of his eye, at least that's what he thought it was. He inwardly gulped before taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. When he was sure of his voice, he commented aloud. "You know where I come from we normally administer an anaesthetic before taking samples." His voice still sounded terribly quaky but he knew the aliens probably wouldn't notice. He also didn't expect an answer so it came as somewhat of a surprise when he could clearly hear words begin to form in his aching head.

_*You are at my mercy Lantean. This time you will not slip through my hands.*_ The alien's ugly mouth split into what could only be described as a sickly smile.

John screwed up his face in disgust at the gesture. "So you've had dealings with humans before." _B__ecause of the Lantean reference it was _probably the Ancients, John thought but didn't voice that, instead he asked. "How come you can understand my spoken language all of a sudden?"

*_What do you mean Lantean? You speak a different tongue from the other. Although it has many similarities, so there is no mistaking that you are of the same ugly species as it was. However, thanks to the meddlesome keeper I have your language recorded in the central core. It did not take much for our great computers to work out your very primitive form of communication.*_

"I beg to differ. Our language is far from primitive. We are not animals and we take great exception to being locked up in a cage and kept without our clothes and belongings. And furthermore, I have no wish to be experimented on yet again, so I would very much appreciate it if you would me go back to my friends and then you can take us back to the planet where you found us."

The alien face didn't change expression at all and John knew his request would go unheeded. He guessed this alien was the head researcher the keeper had mentioned and he didn't have to wait long for his answer. _*I do not care what you want. You are the same species as the other I found so long ago. Even though I only found evidence in your blood. This time you will not escape me as easily as the other one did.*_

"I don't know who this other is, or should I say, was, but haven't you already taken enough samples to last a life time of research? After all...," John felt a flash of pain rip through his head. It seemed to be delivered via the attachment, although he wasn't so sure.

The alien's anger was now clearly written in his eyes. *_Enough, ugly creature! My life span has been far longer than yours! For you are a mere animal and should not question my intent to dissect you to study your internal organs. As for the other creature with the similar but strangely impure blood, it will be spared for now. I may have it put into stasis for preservation and possible later research. The mating pair with no evidence of Lantean blood will be kept for breeding purposes only.*_

Although his future looked very grim, John was somewhat relieved. At least Ronon and Teyla would be left alive for the time being, although Rodney's future didn't look quite so bright. John had no illusion that unless a miracle occurred soon his end was very near. And sure enough, the ugly alien moved away slightly and two others gathered to stand over him. The glint of the scalpel hovered in his line of vision, pointed toward his chest. It looked very sharp and deadly. John also caught sight of a strange, thin cylindrical object. He had no idea what that was but whatever, he was sure it wasn't anything pleasant.

John drew a shuddering breath and closed his eyes knowing after all he'd been through he was about to die. It certainly wasn't the way he expected to go.

oOo

Nekra reached the heart of the ship and the last corridor that would lead him to the command centre. Only one obstacle stood in his way, two massive and imposing guards stationed before the final hatchway.

His hearts hammered in the chest as he approached them, head bowed in a sign of respect and submission. *_I wish to speak to the commander.*_

_*State your business and rank.*_

_*Nekra, a keeper stationed in section 114. It is a matter of urgency concerning one of my charges and the conduct of a researcher towards it.*_ He had not used M'Bek's name out of fear of immediate refusal.

The guards looked unimpressed. _*You will have to file a complaint and await an appointment. The commander is far too busy to deal with such an unimportant matter right now.*_

_*It is a matter of life and death for the poor creature. Is that not important?*_

_*The protection of this ship is more important than just a mere animal. File your complaint on the appropriate form.* _

*_But.* _Nekra said no more as the guard silenced him with a glare. He stood his ground for a moment as he frantically studied the hatchway control panel. The portal beckoned to him, it was the only thing keeping him from seeing the commander. Nekra's spirit sank when he realised that he needed a code to get through. So it seemed he had failed and the dark haired one was doomed.

Nekra prepared to turn away just as the hatchway opened to allow the passage of a crewmember. Nekra made a quick noted that the guards were only armed with shock rods. So without a moment's hesitation, he raced by his fellow Zylan's and flung his slim body through the hatchway just as it slammed close.

oOo

They were going to take their own sweet time that much was obvious. The first cut had been a bit like the previous time, an incision into the muscle of his upper chest. It hurt like hell and John could feel the flow of blood trickle down his side. He stifled a scream, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing him suffer. That would come later no doubt, if they didn't finish him off quickly.

A sudden sharp, intense pain drew his attention away from controlling his screams. One automatically escaped his lips. He had no idea what they had just done but the smell of seared flesh and hair assaulted his nostrils. Had they just burnt him? From his horizontal position he couldn't tell for sure, only the pain was bad and the smell even worse. It mingled together with the alien stink. His stomach turned, wanting to rebel. John controlled it knowing he would definitely choke if he was sick right now.

Although it was difficult, he concentrated on the sound of their strange whistling. However, for some reason the translation sounded garbled, distorted. John vaguely wondered if they had removed the attachment. From the amount of pain radiating from his forehead, he was pretty sure they might have carelessly torn it off without regard to his suffering.

However, it was probably a good thing John didn't understand what was being said otherwise he would have been truly terrified as M'Bek addressed his staff._*The laser cutter works quite well on its flesh. You will use it whenever there is a tougher section to cut through or a limb to remove. Now the organ that pumps its blood appears to be located in the upper right hand side of its chest. Right under the incision you have just made. As we do not want it to expire too quickly you must leave that organ intact until it is dead._ _I suggest you make another incision somewhat lower to locate the purpose of the organ that appears to be on the left.* _The chief researcher's bony finger moved to indicate the area. *_As you can see from these scars, the creature appears to have been injured in this area before, probably as a result of fighting over a female. The other scars on its body testify that. Now you must administer some Selomin before you proceed with the next incision otherwise it could expire from shock before we are ready for it to do so.* _

Ebloc bowed his head in acknowledgement and then looked up at the master researcher wondering why he had been chosen for this important task instead of one of the senior researchers. It was a great honour but it puzzled him. Keeper Nekra's whistles kept echoing in his head, and even though Ebloc had not been privy to the conversation M'Bek had just had with John, he had his own concerns regarding their research. _*Should we be doing this, honoured M'Bek? This creature does show a certain amount of awareness. And our decree is to do no harm to higher, sentient life forms.* _

_*Do you question my authority, Ebloc? How many times must I repeat myself, this creature acts purely on instinct and is definitely without free thinking intellect. All this would not be necessary had it not survived the infection I introduced. When I am finished here, I intend to question a certain keeper regarding his interference with my all important research. Enough of this delay. You will make the incision but do not fully remove the organ until we understand its purpose.*_

Although already in agony, John felt a pressure against his arm then something pointed pressed into his side. A sharp pain followed, so they were cutting into his flesh once again, bringing forth more of his precious life blood. He could feel it run down his waist to pool under his back. The real pain didn't strike at first. When it did, John gasped and tears pooled in his eyes at the intensity. As impossible as it seemed, it was even more painful than the Iratus bug or Todd's feeding at the hands of Kolya.

This most certainly was a nightmare of the worst kind. They really were conducting an autopsy and he wasn't even dead yet. Their mistreatment went beyond all reason. Even if they considered him brainless, there was no need to subject him to this living hell. No animal deserved that.

John tried not to be truly terrified but nothing had prepared him for this. Certainly not his military training as they had never covered the possibility of alien torture. So he drifted on a sea of agony waiting for shock to take hold and his heart to give out.

oOo

Ronon's fist shot up, stopping them in their tracks. He quickly pressed himself into an alcove, pleased to see that the others followed without question. They waited in silence as two aliens approached their position. Even Rodney saw the need for stealth as the aliens passed awfully close to their hiding place. Their lanky legs gave them an ungainly walk. It was almost comical and Rodney had to stifle a laugh.

Ronon waited until the danger had passed before turning to his companions. "That's the first aliens we've seen. Makes me wonder just how many actually live here."

Teyla nodded and whispered. "Be thankful there are not more."

"Yes, but those strange sleeping pods we saw numbered quite a few, so this place may be bigger than we thought." McKay suggested.

"Would it not have to be to house all the creatures of their collection?" Teyla asked.

"Yeah," Ronon grunted, "but right now that doesn't matter, we still need to find that lab."

Rodney and Teyla nodded their agreement, quickly following Ronon's lead again.

tbc.


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10

Ebloc's bony, light blue hand hovered over the incision he had just made. As he didn't want to cause too greater blood loss, Ebloc had been very careful not to cut too deep. Despite that, blood continued to pool in a steady stream, hindering the view of the internal organ. His assistant, a researcher called Ib'lec, quickly grabbed an instrument to clear the blood away. It seemed of little use at first until M'Bek cruelly cauterized the incision with a white hot instrument similar to the cauters used in ancient times on Earth. The room echoed with the creature's anguished screams as once again the smell of burnt flesh filled the room.

The action somewhat unnerved Ebloc but he controlled his emotion while he waited until the worst of the bleeding had stopped before opening the wound just enough to see the dark red, smooth surface of an internal organ far below. He recognised it immediately. _*I believe we have found the blood cleanser, the organ that clears the toxins away in most warm blooded creatures. It also aids in the digestion of the substances the creature consumes.*_

M'Bek answered with a crazy sounding bark._ *Well of course we have.*_ It was almost as if he already knew the answer. _*Now you will make a much larger incision and remove the organ completely.*_

Ebloc's shocked bark echoed around the laboratory. _*But surely that will kill it as quickly as removing its blood pump?*_

Strangely, M'Bek did not answer as he usually did. Ebloc looked up to spare him a glance. Exposing the organ had triggered some bleeding again. The head researcher's crazy eyes were locked onto it. His mouth hung open wide as if relishing the sight of the life giving fluid flowing out of the poor creature. It was then that Ebloc realised that Nekra had been right all along; the chief researcher was plainly delusional and quite possibly mad.

By some miracle, the creature under his knife was still semi conscious. Ebloc locked eyes with it. He saw pleading and intelligence behind its glassy gaze. The creature was in agony and wanted him to kill it quickly. Removing the organ would certainly do that. Strangely that was suddenly the last thing Ebloc wanted to do. He wanted to save the creature and put an end to this insane research by exposing M'Bek for the monster he was.

In an act of defiance, he threw down his scalpel and gave a shrill whistle. _*I will not have anything more to do with this atrocity. To subject this poor animal to such living torture goes beyond our code of conduct." _He turned to Ib'lec. _*Do you not see it also?*_

Ib'lec looked very uncertain. He knew what they were doing was wrong, but should he stand up to the great master? He looked down at the creature seeing the suffering in its eyes. If Ebloc wished to rebel then he would back him up. He lowered his head in agreement.

*_What is the meaning of this!* _M'Bek shrieked. _*I will not let this creature slip through my hands again!*_ His huge head turned an angry shade of purple as he grabbed a laser cutter and a scalpel from a nearby table. Then without any warning, he made a lunge for John's exposed chest with the laser now fully activated.

Ebloc immediately reacted. Being younger by many a millennia, he threw himself across the creature, protectively covering it from the laser cutter. The beam slid painfully across Ebloc arm, burning a deep gash as M'Bek roared his rage at the missed opportunity.

The crazy researcher prepared to strike again and Ebloc knew he had to get the laser away from him before he could do them all great harm with such the dangerous tool. Keeping himself protectively over the creature, he struck out with his good arm and got lucky when he managed to knock the instrument away from M'Bek's clumsy grasp. The laser fell to the floor with a noisy clatter and rolled away.

Now incensed beyond reason, M'Bek used his scalpel to stab Ebloc in the arm just below the laser gash. Ebloc's blue blood surged forth as M'Bek savagely withdrew the blade only to start slashing at everything within reach. Knowing the great danger they were in, Ebloc grabbed another scalpel and tried to retaliate by striking out at M'Bek's exposed hand whenever the opportunity arose.

By the time M'Bek managed to get the upper hand, his fingers sported several deep gashes. He was pleased to see that Ebloc was in a far worse condition as he lay slumped over the Lantean, bleeding from a multitude of cuts. M'Bek posed to strike again. This time he intended to kill his traitorous researcher and then the creature he was trying so hard to protect. Although a little uncoordinated with his damaged fingers, he held the extremely sharp scalpel before him and prepared to plunge it into one of Ebloc's hearts.

Unsure what to do, the assistant had hesitated even though the chief researcher's intent had been clearly written in his angry countenance. Then Ib'lec realised that if he didn't do something quickly, his friend would be killed along with the creature. Finding the courage that he didn't normally possess, Ib'lec rushed forward to knock the scalpel from M'Bek's awkward grasp. It fell with a clatter onto the table, narrowly missing the creature's chest. Ib'lec hastily brushed the blade to the floor before the master could retrieve it.

Realising he was now weaponless, M'Bek screeched for help.

oOo

The guards had stationed themselves several corridors away as they had not been expecting any trouble. M'Bek's loud barks echoed down upon them as they partook in a game of Zorcon, a board game similar to chess. They exchanged a weary look wondering what the head research could possibly want. Concern showed in their eyes, as they were the same guards who had escorted the two legged creature to M'Bek's domain not more than a time part ago. They had clearly seen the sorrowful and concerned expressions on its companions' faces when they had taken it out of the enclosure. The action had disturbed the guards greatly as in their humble opinion it had shown great awareness and astuteness.

However, they were mere guards and despite their belief, they did not wish to cross the greatest Zylan ever to live. So abandoning their game, they quickly gathered their shock rods and took off with a lolloping jog to see what the head researcher could possibly want.

oOo

"Did you hear that?" Ronon whispered, before sticking his head around the next corner. He was just in time to catch a glimpse of the small group of guards as they moved off down a long corridor.

Rodney looked alarmed. "What?"

"Something is going on. We're following those guards as I have a feeling they will lead us to Sheppard."

Rodney looked confused. "What guards?" Ronon didn't answer as he had already started to move away. "Oh right. Why don't we just walk straight into the fire?"

"Rodney, I believe Ronon is right. If he thinks following some guards will lead us to John, then that is what we shall do."

Rodney still looked doubtful. Teyla had already moved off as well so Rodney very little choice but to follow them, while muttering under his breath that he had a very, very bad feeling about this.

oOo

John was totally unaware of the chaos around him. His side was an incredible knot of pure agony and he could literally feel his life ebbing away. His vision that had so recently returned was now clouded to near blackness. So when a strange light flooded his mind, John knew he was finally seeing the light that so many people had described in near death experiences. Although no one had ever mentioned hearing a voice.

"_Do not be afraid."_ It said, _"You can escape that awful Zylan just like I did." _So not quite his last moment before death then. The word 'how' formed in John's mind. He was surprised that he still had the ability to form any coherent thoughts.

"_Let go of your corporeal body and ascend to join us, that is what I did so many millennia ago when taken by M'Bek." _

So that was the alien's name. John sent a mental message. _"I still have friends...my team...they need my help to escape him."_

"_John, you will die. He will make sure of that. If you do not ascend soon your existence will be forever gone. Teer and the others await you."_

John considered it but like he had told Teer some years ago, it was something he didn't really want. At least not yet, maybe when he was very, very old. However like the voice had said, if he died right now all would be lost. And if they continued their torture then he was bound to die. Ascension would put a stop to that, but then again, so would death. Although, maybe if he ascended he could find his way back just like Daniel Jackson had. It would certainly be better than being dead, and ascension would put an end to his pain and suffering. What was it Rodney had learnt when faced with the need to ascend? One must clear your mind and...

"Oh my God! What have you done to him?" That was Rodney's frantic yelling. It pulled John back from the brink.

oOo

Rodney stood motionless staring at his friend. He'd been dead on target about his very bad feeling. Teyla stood next to him, shocked beyond words. Surprisingly, even Ronon was in the same state of distress. There was blood everywhere it seemed, blue mixing with red to form a strange purple colour where it met. The guards also appeared traumatized, repulsed by the sight in front of them.

The team noted that one big, ugly puce tinged alien appeared to have several very deep and heavily bleeding wounds to its fingers as did another light blue alien. Strangely, it didn't seem to concern or cause the aliens' any great distress. Maybe they had higher pain threshold because even though the light blue alien also sported several nasty looking wounds to its arms, it still had the strength to stand glaring at the ugly one with a great deal of malice.

However, it was John's plight that quickly drew the teams' attention. Once over their initial shock they rushed to his side. Rodney hastily turned away; he wasn't good with blood and open wounds. It seemed hopeless anyway. John was bleeding from two deep incisions to his torso and several slashes to his legs, leaving his skin as white as a sheet. They had nothing to stop the bleeding and the ugly alien had started screeching in their ears. No doubt the guards would apprehend them soon enough.

Teyla ignored it to bend down and placed her right arm under John's head, trying to give comfort in what may be his last few moments of life. She whispered endearments telling him that his team were here with him.

Her words were nearly drowned out by M'Bek's shriek as he commanded the guards to remove the intruding animals and arrest his two assistants. Thankfully, the guards had seen enough to realise that this time the master researcher had gone too far and even though they didn't like doing it, they realised that it was time to take a stance against him. So M'Bek's orders went unheeded. The head guard stood firm and warned the researcher to stay where he was, hoping that the commander agreed with his decision.

Although in much need himself, Ebloc pleaded with the guards get some help for poor creature dying in front of them. They didn't react at first then Ronon, who seemed to understand what Ebloc was getting at, turned and scowled at them. The head guard quickly barked another order and two rushed off while the other guards continued to keep a watchful eye on M'Bek, who was threatening all sorts of horrible punishment for their disobedience. The remaining aliens chose to ignore him as they stood by powerless to help.

This time Ronon didn't understand their problem quite so well, he threw them another deadly look as he tried to stem John's bleeding, but without sutures and blood transfusions, it seemed a hopeless gesture.

Frustrated by the delay, Ebloc whistled something and hobbled off. It appeared his fingers and upper body weren't the only parts to fall victim to the vicious attack. A few minutes later, he returned with a wad of cotton like material and handed it to Teyla. She quickly bunched it up and tried to apply some pressure to John's side, knowing it would hurt like hell.

Unlike when she had first held him, John now seemed to be totally out of it. She just prayed that his unresponsive reaction wasn't because he was very close to death.

Tbc

_Evil cliffy. Will they be able to save Shep before blood loss kills him? Please keep those lovely reviews coming. _


	11. Chapter 11

Part 11

Squeals and confusion from Master M'Bek's research centre drew the attention of all those working nearby and although it wasn't unusual to hear the odd scream or cry coming from his lab, this was something else entirely. Several braver souls ventured closer, craning their long necks to see what the disturbance was all about. When the commander himself and a lowly keeper arrived moments later they knew the situation was serious. Then when several healers also rushed by it led to much speculation, had the great M'Bek himself been injured by one of his creatures? And just like any other close knit society, the rumour mill began to run wild.

Nekra stood in shocked silence. Had he been too late to save the dark haired Lant? A sudden feeling of great sorrow and remorse swept through him. He had grown so fond of the poor creature and now it could be dead.

Immediately taking charge, the commander called for an explanation while M'Bek screeched his protest about the interference and disobedience of his workers. It was an unholy noise that had Rodney covering his ears. However, the commander appeared unimpressed and eventually ordered the researcher to shut his mouth or face the consequences. And to everyone's surprise M'Bek finally fell silent.

When things had calmed down somewhat, the commander turned to face the victims of M'Bek's cruel research. His eyes focused on the female and even though he knew she would not understand him, he tried to portray as sense of sympathy. *_I am truly sorry. I did not realise your people had been captured again.*_

Upon hearing that M'Bek could not keep his silence any longer. He spoke up with a whistling scoff. _*You are mistaken, commander. These creatures are not the same species as before. They possess little comprehension or understanding.*_

*_Researcher,_ _I told you to keep quiet.* _The commander warned just as several healers rushed into the room. They assessed the situation immediately and quickly moved to aid M'Bek. A loud bellow rose from the commander's long throat. _*Not him you fools! Do what you can to save the Lantean over there.* _The healers seemed confused at first but eventually they lowered their heads in understanding and proceeded to surround John.

Teyla and the others quickly backed away allowing them room to work. They came to stand not far from the commander, enabling him to look more closely. He made note of their worried expressions. It would appear their emotions were very easy to comprehend. Although he had never met one personally, he had read several historical reports regarding their first encounter so long ago. At the time, his predecessors had condemned M'Bek for his unusually cruel handling of these beings. It would seem the researcher had been obsessed with them, yet no one had had an explanation as to why. Unfortunately, the first encounter had resulted in the death of one individual and although M'Bek had claimed he had simply disappeared, no one had believed him. So the survivors had been released back onto the planet where M'Bek and his team had found them on the edge of a galaxy known to the Zylan as Xylo103. The dwarf galaxy the great ship now explored was identified as Xylo106. The commander pondered, was it possible that the first Lanteans had ventured from this galaxy so many millennia before? If that was the case and they resided in greater numbers here, then the commander had already made up his mind to leave them well alone.

_*Have you a verdict yet healers?* _he asked.

One healer lifted his head and gave his opinion. _*Much blood has been lost, commander. Without whole blood to give it there is little we can do other then close the incisions, attempt to stabilise and prevent shock with drugs.* _

_*Can you not take blood from the others?*_

The healer nodded. _*We will need to test for compatibility. Unless Master M'Bek has already done so?* _

_*Well, did you, M'Bek?* _

The researcher remained defiant for a moment before he simply barked. _*I tested them all when they first arrived. The one I wished to do more research on is different from the others. It is more like the one I had in my procession so long ago...*_

_*I am not interested in that right now. We will discuss your punishment later. What the healers want to know is, their compatibly of blood type?*_

M'Bek face went a deep shade of purple, due to his growing annoyance. _*I did not test it for that.*_

_*And you could have saved time by saying so immediately. I believe you wish for the Lantean to die, that way you think you can continue your research. Well let me tell you, even if he does die I will not allow you to mutilate his body any further. He will be returned to the planet where you found him with his companions so that they may hold whatever ritual they might have for a loved one lost. In the meantime, their blood must be tested. Have you any stored or must we take fresh samples and risk upsetting them further.*_

M'Bek looked very unhappy as he waddled over to a cold storage unit to pull out several vials of blood. Reluctantly it seemed, he handed them over to the healers. _*They are marked with the identification of each creature.*_

*_They are not creatures!* _The commander barked. It was very loud, making everyone including John's team jump at the volume._ *I have had enough of your scorn over this matter. Guards you will please escort M'Bek to his pod quarters.* _

The guards nodded, happy to comply with their commander's request.

_*And M'Bek, you are to stay in your pod until this matter has been dealt with. Is that clear?*_

M'Bek slowly lowered his head in acknowledgement but his scornful disgust was plain to see.

oOo

The tension in the room was almost unbearable as the healers' long fingers worked quickly in an effort to stem Sheppard's bleeding. Rodney and the others watched events unfold not really knowing what the heck was going on. The exchange between the ugly alien and the newly arrived individual, who they guessed must be a commander or something, had been like watching a tennis match. A very loud tennis match as whistles, barking noises and bellows had passed between the two contestants until finally John's torturer had been taken away. Much to everyone's relief it seemed.

The blue and slightly greenish toned commander turned to give them a reassuring gesture. Somehow, it looked almost comical on his large bulbous face. Rodney suddenly got the vision of a watermelon trying to smile and he had to control a nervous giggle. Despite that, it was a relief that the alien hadn't ordered them removed yet.

Teyla recognised their keeper from his greenish, aquamarine colouring. He also tried giving them a reassuring look on a face that appeared sad and remorseful. It distressed her that she couldn't communicate with him like Sheppard had.

The healers eventually moved away, leaving John looking exposed and terribly small on the metal table. The team inched forward as one, their eyes locked onto his still form and it was then that they suddenly realised he no longer had the strange disc on his forehead. When had that been removed? Yet none voiced the question as it was pointless. No one would answer them anyway. John still looked deadly pale and lifeless against the metal grey surface but at least the bleeding had been stopped and the wounds had been sutured in a very neat fashion indeed.

Their keeper gave a short whistle and quickly left the room only to return a while later with a soft sheet, which he gently covered John's naked body with. It was the first real material they had seen.

"How about some of those for us, too?" Rodney requested. Of course there was no reaction, so he went over to John and touched the sheet pointing to his body and the others. "A nice warm sheet to cover our modesty."

Their keeper seemed to catch on. He exchanged another short whistle with the commander and then he left the room with several guards. He didn't come back immediately. In fact, he didn't return for quite a while. When he did, the teams' faces lit up with both relief and appreciation as their own clothing was neatly placed before them. Although it was more than welcome, unfortunately didn't include their gear and weapons.

Then surprisingly the aliens simply left the room, leaving them all alone with the deeply unconscious colonel. "What do you think they're going to do with us now" Rodney muttered, as he quickly got dressed. It felt wonderful to be finally putting on his clothes.

Ronon turned to him with a shrug. "Anyone's guess."

Teyla didn't say anything at first. She quickly finished dressing before moving over to John to lightly brush his hair away from his forehead. He looked so terribly lifeless and she wondered if he would ever recover from this ordeal. Even if he recovered physically it was bound to leave some very deep emotional scars. She knew John was strong. He had lived through many things others would not have but the trauma of the last weeks plus this dreadful torture may be his breaking point. Would he, could he, ever be the same again? It was a worrying thought that disturbed her greatly. And they still weren't out of danger yet. Teyla knew she had to stay strong for John's sake and although she desperately wanted to return home to be with her son, she whispered. "Whatever they decide, I will not leave this terrible place without John."

"No, no, of course not," Rodney agreed, "I just hope he makes it though. He's lost an awful lot of blood and none of us have his B+ blood group. I hope they realise that."

"Probably." Ronon said. "And as we're the only humans here, they won't have any blood to give him. Right?"

"Yes, yes...you'd think that such an advanced society would have some form of blood substitute."

Teyla looked surprised. "Is such a thing possible?"

"I'm no medical expert but according to Jennifer, yes. They already have several substitutes on Earth."

Rodney admitting to not knowing something was a miracle in itself. However, with John lying half-dead only a few paces away Teyla decided not to play on it. No doubt John would have had fun teasing McKay had he been fit and healthy. "Maybe they are getting things ready for him now?" she speculated.

"I sure hope so because they haven't even given him a saline drip yet to replace lost fluids."

Rodney comment was very disquieting. No one had anything to add to that. They stood by patiently waiting, very concerned for John and wondering just what the aliens were up to. Why they had been left alone?

Ronon eventually moved to the hatchway. It wouldn't open for him, meaning they were locked in. So their future was still very unsure indeed.

oOo

M'Bek was furious. How dare they interrupt the greatest experiment of his entire long career? All he wanted was to learn more about the creatures called Lanteans and why the first one he'd had on his table had dissolved with a display of light so many years ago.

He had waited patiently to find another, certain that when he did, dissection would prove that a special organ was responsible for the creatures ability to evaporate upon death. So when he had finally discovered more of the creatures on a distant planet in Xylo106, he had been excited, thrilled even. He had gone too fast with the first creature, inflicting mortal wounds before being able to find the illusive organ. This time he had hoped that if the creature had died of natural causes it may not have disappeared. When that had failed, he had intended to take things much slower and more carefully by having the creature dissected bit by bit.

The more he thought about it, the more furious he became as the cloning procedure he had undertaken time and time again to achieve his goal had been arduous on both body and mind. Now the chance to find out more had been taken away from him by the brainless commander and a meddlesome keeper. But all was not lost. He had many supporters, especially amongst the ranks of the researchers, and although two of them had rebelled, he was one hundred percent certain that others would rally to his cause. So as long as the pure Lantean stayed onboard he could rectify the situation by overthrowing the commander. And among the first to suffer under his command would be the keeper who had the audacity to ask for the Lanteans' clothing. His traitorous research colleagues would also suffer for their disobedience.

Indeed, the idea of mutiny appealed to him greatly. It was time for the scientists to run the ship then the silly nonsense about only taking dull and uninteresting life forms would finally come to an end. With him in charge they could harvest the riches of the Universe.

As M'Bek headed for his door, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a mirrored surface. The mad glint in his dark eyes was enough to scare even the strongest of creatures. However, he knew he couldn't show such antagonism to his loyal followers. So even though it wasn't an easy task, he managed to get his emotions under some semblance of control. Then without a second thought he stormed from his quarters, calling for a meeting of all the researchers.

The guards who had been left to keep an eye on him hunched in fear at the terrifying look M'Bek sent their way. They had no wish to cross him. Better to face the commander's disapproval than M'Bek's wrath, so they put up no resistance and let him pass with question.

oOo

Many corridors beyond in the hospital sector, the healers hastily finished organizing the room where they would keep the feeble creature. Unfortunately tests had shown that the others of its kind carried different blood groups, which meant they were incompatible. However all was not lost as they had some synthetic fluids they could try.

Satisfied they called for the transfer of the creature from M'Bek's laboratory. The guards could do that while they, the all important healers, prepared the necessary fluids and medicines.

oOo

The door finally clicked and Nekra entered, almost reverently. He had four guards with him and without a sound two of them quickly went about transferring John onto a type of floating gurney. Nekra did not like the dreadfully pallor of the dark haired one as he seemed almost dead. The keeper knew death all too well as other creatures had died in his care despite his best efforts to keep them healthy. He prayed this wasn't yet another one he would lose. Of course, this time it would not be due to anything he was responsible for.

McKay broke the silence even though it was a useless effort. "Where are you taking him?" Predictably, no one answered as the two guards manoeuvred Sheppard out of the room.

Once the guards had gone with their precious cargo, Nekra turned to face the noisy one. He instinctively knew the others must be very concerned for their companion but he had no way of telling them they were trying their best to save him. Nekra lowered his head and turned to the female as she seemed to have more understanding than the males. He gently held out a hand and his long, bony fingers slowly reached out to touch Teyla's forearm.

Teyla recoiled at first as the contact felt cold and slightly slimy. Also she wasn't so sure of his intentions. Then she looked into his alien eyes and somehow realised he meant them no harm. He would show her the way to John, so she allowed him to lead her out of the room hoping that the others would follow without question.

The remaining guards went behind the keeper leaving Rodney and Ronon alone in the room. They simply looked at each other and shrugged before moving to follow.

tbc.


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

Nekra lead them down endless corridors toned in various shades of dull green until they ultimately arrived in what could only be the medical section. At least sixty or so cages stood lined-up against one wall. They appeared to contain a variety of strange, sickly looking animals. Rodney stared at them for a moment. A childhood memory came to mind of the time his poor cat Newton had been taken to the vet, only to be put down the next day because of an incurable cancer. He hoped that wasn't the case for these poor critters. And he sincerely hoped they weren't putting Sheppard a cage only to be put down sometime later because they can't help him. He shuddered at the thought and quickly moved to catch the others up as the keeper had already led them into a small room. Rodney entered a moment later and stopped to stare at the décor. He noticed Teyla doing the same and probably for the same reason because the room was coloured in a very strange iridescent turquoise tone. It seemed almost organic in texture and kind of hypnotic. Maybe they believed it helped in the healing process.

Rodney eventually dragged his eyes away long enough to see that they were hooking Sheppard up to some weird looking apparatus and what looked like an IV drip. At least the bed they had him on looked semi-comfortable. However, it didn't ease his worry as his friend still looked like death warmed over, being positively grey toned and sunken eyed.

They waited in silence as there was nothing to do other than watch. They also tried to keep out of the way as the healers worked. Ronon and Teyla seemed to manage it fine but Rodney nearly caused several collisions invoking a few angry barks. Eventually it became apparent that they had finished, but the language barrier was proving very frustrating indeed as they had no idea what they were supposed to do next. There was only one bed in the room and no chairs. The area was very restricted so staying with John was going to be very uncomfortable indeed. Then as if the aliens sensed their thoughts, their keeper turned and beckoned for them to follow him. The team hesitated as they were reluctant to leave John. The keeper cocked his head slightly and slowly approached Teyla. Once again, he gently took her hand, encouraging her to leave.

Teyla somehow sensed he meant them no harm, so she advised. "As John is being well cared for at the present and not likely to awaken any time soon, I believe we should see what he wants and then try to return as quickly as possible."

Although reluctant to do so, Rodney and Ronon eventually agreed as fighting over the issue would get them nowhere. They let the keeper led them down a short corridor, this time coloured in a very lacklustre grey. It gave the area a creepy, hospital-like feeling so they were more than relieved when Nekra showed them into another small room, thankfully toned in a cheerful light blue. It was fitted out with three sleeping cots and a small table attached to one wall. The table sported several bowls of the usual tasteless food and a container of water.

The team nodded their thanks and made to leave but Nekra held up his hand to stall them. He pointed to the food and gestured that they should eat. Then he pointed to the cots and mimicked sleep. Ronon protested and pointed to the way out. And although Nekra was slightly terrified of the big Lant, he bravely stood his ground and held up three fingers, then slowly lowered two of them.

"Oh, I think he's trying to tell us that we can visit Sheppard but only one at a time." Rodney smiled. "Kind of reminds me of Atlantis infirmary rules, although we never obey them, so why should we now."

Teyla wasn't so sure. "I wish we were on Atlantis and John was in their care. However as we do not want to upset his caregivers, I believe it is best to respect their wishes." She turned to Nekra and nodded. He seemed satisfied and left them in peace.

Rodney grabbed some food and sat down. "Wonder if they'll let us go when Sheppard is strong enough?"

Ronon moved over and took his own piece of food. "They'd better. But something doesn't feel right and I'm not just talking about not being able to talk to these beings."

Teyla lowered herself onto a cot. Her worry for John gave her no appetite, so she was not ready to eat just yet. "Ronon, if we want to be released then we must cooperate and trust them. I know it is difficult when everything is so strange. We must also hope that they can help John. As I said before, I will not leave this place without him."

Ronon grunted his agreement. "I just don't trust that big ugly guy, that's all. Hope they've locked him up good and proper."

Teyla nodded. "If he is still allowed his freedom, he may not give up quite so easily. Therefore we must stay prepared and vigilant for John's sake. He needs us more than ever right now."

Rodney nodded round a mouth full of food, which he swallowed down with a gulp of water. "Yes, yes. Has anybody checked to see if we're locked in this time?"

Teyla got up to look. "No, we are not. I believe we will be allowed to visit John as often as we want."

Relieved to hear that, McKay suggested. "Best if we take it in turns then. Not that we could have all stayed with him anyway. That room is even smaller than this one, no point in crowding him out."

"Yes, but one of us ought to be there at all times. I do not wish him to wake-up and only see those aliens, especially after what he has just endured."

The men agreed with her and they soon had their routine worked out. Once that was settled Teyla felt more like eating, if only to keep her strength up for what might lay ahead.

oOo

Nekra looked around anxiously. He'd just returned from the enclosures after fetching the only weapon he had to protect the dark haired Lant against M'Bek's upraising. The simple shock weapon felt awkward in his hand as he'd never had cause to use it before on any living creature. Whether he could use it against his own kind, even in self-defence, was questionable. Not that the weapon could kill, but if he couldn't bring himself to use it then no doubt the big Lant could. The jolt of electricity it produced was very painful, incapacitating the victim for some time depending on how resilient the creature was and how powerful the setting. It was a cruel weapon and Nekra had never liked it.

The unsettling news of M'Bek's uprising had reached Nekra's ears a short while ago. It seemed the researcher was dissatisfied with the commander's decision and had been busy rallying support to mount a mutiny for several days now. What the commander would do to counteract it was anyone's guess. Nekra had not seen him since the confrontation in the laboratory but no matter what, he intended to protect the Lants as best he could. And the best place to start was the sick one's room, although first he needed gather them all together.

Rodney looked up when the alien he'd come to recognise as the keeper entered the small sick room. The alien's usually emotionless face portrayed fear and apprehension. His large eyes darted around the room as if checking for hidden things. It set Rodney on edge, so he was extremely thankful to see Ronon and Teyla entered behind him.

"What's up?" Rodney asked, relieved that his voice sounded fairly normal.

"The keeper came to get us. I believe he is worried about something."

"Well that's oblivious." Rodney rose from the end of John's bed and looked at Teyla. "God, I hope it's not trouble with that maniac again."

As if in answer a loud groan issued from the bed, shocking both human and alien alike. They hadn't been expecting it as the colonel hadn't stirred until that very moment. It was almost as if Rodney's disturbing words had penetrated John's unconscious mind.

Teyla rushed to his side when she saw genuine the fear in his now open eyes. "John you are not in that dreadful place anymore. You are currently being cared for in their infirmary."

Although it caused him pain, John managed to turn his head towards Teyla's soothing voice. He could just make out her anxious face hovering in his line of vision. At least he wasn't blind anymore, although physically and mentally he felt pretty dreadful. He could clearly recall what had transpired in that awful lab. Memory loss of that event would have been more than welcome. However, he was mildly surprised to wake up and not be dead. He certainly felt as if he should be dead. His mouth also felt incredibly dry, so his first attempt to speak came out as a croaky whisper. "Wil...et...ou go...ome?"

Teyla looked to the others before answering. "We do not know what they have in mind for us because we cannot communicate with them but at least they have given us our clothing back."

Nekra stepped into his line of sight and John immediately tensed up. He felt the familiar shudders begin and quite frankly the way he felt right now, he really didn't need those shaking him up.

Teyla took the water the keeper had offered and put a reassuring hand on John's shoulder. "It is all right, John. You remember our keeper? He is trying to help us."

Her words calmed him down somewhat and Teyla helped him sip some water, but John wondered if he could ever look upon these aliens again without it invoking pure, terrifying fear.

Nekra pulled back a step. The dark haired one appeared to be very afraid of him which after his appalling mistreatment was most understandable. He tried to give the Lant a reassuring smile just as another alien quietly slipped into the room.

The newcomer was much smaller in stature and even lighter in colour. It immediately whistled a message. *_The commander fears for the creatures. He commands that you prepare them for transport to their planet of origin. We are to take them to section A transfer room without delay.*_

Nekra lowered his head, confused. _*I do not understand. I was not informed that we were returning to the planet where they were found. We have no way of knowing if it really is their planet of origin. Also the dark haired one is not fit enough for transfer.*_

The messenger managed a look of annoyance. _*The commander must not tell you his plans. It is regrettable that they must be removed so hastily. Master M'Bek has rallied much support and the commander fears he will overrun this part of the ship very soon. If these creatures are to be saved then they must be returned to the planet where they were found.*_

John's head spun in confusion making it ache badly. For some reason the alien's barks and whistles formed as clear text in his mind, although somewhat jumbled. However, the understanding was clear enough; it made his blood run cold. He raised a feeble hand to get Teyla's attention. The effort left him drained. "Go...get off...ship...crazy bastard's...on way."

Teyla had to bend close to understand his weak voice, she now looked unsure wondering how John knew all this. "We will not leave you in his hands. We will fight if necessary."

John sighed. He suddenly felt very light headed and wondered how much longer he could hold onto consciousness. He wanted his team to get to safety before he lost it again, so he tried to speak with authority even though his voice sounded terribly faint. "No...they get you off...ship. Go...that's an order."

Ronon's keen hearing picked up his words just fine. "Not happening!"

Rodney hadn't heard Sheppard's command being too intent on what the aliens were doing. "What's not happening?"

"Sheppard wants us to leave him and get to safety."

"Oh. Can we really fight them off without weapons?"

Rodney had said it and for once John agreed with him. He made a feeble grab for Rodney's arm. "No...can't. Please...go."

Nekra listened as the device he had brought with him roughly translated the dark haired one's words. He never stopped to consider how that was possible without the monitor disc because his concern for them was all too distracting. Whereas the dark haired one thought he must stay, Nekra strongly disagreed. He would not leave him in M'Bek's cruel hands again. Better to die with honour fleeing for his freedom than under the knife of that vindictive researcher. He gestured to John and then to Ronon, indicating that the big Lant should pick him up.

Ronon understood quickly enough and with Teyla's help, they wrapped John up as best they could in the thin sheet over the colonel's weak objections. His protest didn't last long as the movement quickly drove John back into unconsciousness.

Nekra hastily removed the filament tubing and fluid feeder from the support stand and gently placed it across John's torso before Ronon scooped him into his arms. Nekra gestured that everyone should follow the short alien. They didn't need to be shown twice.

oOo

The progress through the ship was slow, the commander's aid being very cautious and vigilant. She stopped many times only to quickly change direction, sometimes leading them through strange places full of exotic creatures of a kind the team had never seen before. It would have been fascinating if the matter hadn't been so urgent, it also showed the team just how vast the exploration vessel was and how many species they already had on board.

Rodney remained silent thought-out, his fear and astonishment competing against each other for dominance. The ship was fascinating but at the same time darn scary. However, his main concern lay focused on the limp figure held protectively in Ronon's arms. Would his friend survive and be his old self again? Doubts whirled in Rodney's head, but firstly they had to get him off the damn ship.

tbc


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks for the reviews. Unfortunately, I received one that found a word I used in Chapter 12 offensive. As I can't address this matter in private, (the reviewer isn't registered), I felt I had to defend myself a little before posting the next chapter. Firstly, I was totally unaware that the word is considered a bad profanity by certain people, that's what comes of living in a non-English speaking country for well over half my life. I've since googled it and the Online free dictionary stated that it meant to express extreme displeasure, anger, or surprise. My English Oxford dictionary states that it means accursed, damnable and that's what I meant it to mean. I didn't even capitalise the word, so it has left me a little baffled but out of respect for the reviewer's beliefs I have changed it and if they don't wish to read my story anymore then that's their choice, which makes me very sad. The matter has upset me somewhat (being a bit of an emotional type) and has put a damper on my enthusiasm as I don't know when I might make another blunder that will cause offence. However, I will finish the story as I don't go back on a promise. So here's the next part but I'm thinking of taking a little break from it over the coming weekend.  
_

Part 13

It seemed like an eternity of evasive manoeuvres and yet more corridors until the alien called a halt at the entrance to a room that looked a little like something out of a Star Trek episode. The aide held back for a second, checking to see if it was all clear before leading them further into the room where another very tall alien stood before a console comprising of large buttons and flashing lights. Several more consoles lined the walls, their displays flashing unknown data.

However, the team's attention was immediately drawn to the middle of the room where a slightly raised platform stood. It looked big enough to hold an elephant sized creature and seemed to be made of glass as it appeared translucent. A series of smaller flashing lights circled the rim almost giving it a fairground appearance. Nekra held up his hand to halt them. He indicated the platform and held up one finger.

"Oh, it seems we can only go one at a time." Rodney added usefully, as if the others hadn't understood the meaning at all. Then he muttered quietly with an air of uncertainty. "Although this was not the method they used to capture us."

Teyla couldn't care less she just wanted to get John and themselves to safety. She moved over to Ronon. "I believe that means you must relinquish John and place him on the platform."

Ronon turned to acknowledge Teyla's words. He could feel his friend beginning to stir in his arms and knew they had to move fast. "Yeah, got that but one of us should go first to check if the planet is secure. And they haven't returned our weapons and gear yet."

Rodney threw him an exasperated look. "Yes, yes, we know that but quite frankly getting off this ship is far more important right now. So you go first and then we'll send Sheppard down to you."

Teyla agreed with Rodney's plan, although she knew how important Ronon's gun was to him. However without being able to converse, it would be difficult to ask for it back. She also had a sneaking suspicion that their gear and weapons were still in the hands of the maniac researcher and he might have already disposed of them to hide the evidence of their intelligence. Although that wouldn't explain why their clothing was still intact, but right now she had other concerns as the aliens seemed edgy and very nervous. Would they have enough time to all evacuate to safety? Her main priority was getting the colonel away from danger and that's what she intended to do even though John would probably have wanted them all to go first.

Teyla gave Ronon a reassuring smile as he gently laid John next to the platform, tucking the sheet around him to keep him warm. Ronon wasn't all that keen on leaving the others but he was the logical choice to go first. Heavens knew what planet they were being sent to, so anything could be down there waiting for them, even Wraith. He felt naked without a weapon, so as he stepped onto the smooth surface of the platform he prepared to do combat with his bare hands, if necessary. Turning to nod to the others Ronon suddenly caught glimpse of several aliens about to enter the room. He made to move off the platform to help fight them but the scene suddenly changed and he found himself under the bright clear blue sky of a wooded glen.

Back in the transfer room Nekra began to panic as several of M'Bek's supporters made a bid to enter. The commander's aid stood near the entry, gallantly trying to keep them back with nothing more than a shock rod. Fortunately, the aggressors were armed with nothing better as the more powerful weapons were still under lock-down. The commander had wisely seen to that the minute M'Bek started to rebel. Nekra looked on, feeling somewhat useless as he really didn't know what to do to help. He was no fighter and he'd given his only weapon to the Lants.

The two remaining Lants had surrounded the sick one, giving protection as best they could. He seemed to be conscious and although he had some difficulty making sounds, it appeared he was disagreeing with his companions. Nekra's translator indicated that it concerned who should be the next to go. The female stood her ground. The shock rod held high, ready to defend him at all costs and Nekra began to wonder if he was actually something more to her than just a friend. However, the sick one then said something about a young offspring she must have back on their home planet. She remained defiant at first until he said something Nekra didn't catch. Bending down, the female looked at him with great sorrow before whispering something only the dark haired one could hear. Then she silently placed the shock rod in his hand and stepped onto the platform. A few seconds later, she disappeared in a flash of light leaving her two male companions behind.

Rodney looked around petrified before bending down in order to get John onto the platform. A cringe of pain shot up his back as he tried to lever his arms under his bony friend. John was heavier than he looked and to make matters worse, he was not helping at all. In fact, John emphatically shook his head. "Go on ahead of me...'lantis needs you."

"Oh, and they don't need you?"

John was too weak to argue further. A stubborn McKay was enough to tax him even at his strongest. He took in the situation and saw that the alien defender was quickly losing ground. It was only a matter of time before the others flooded into the room. The alien at the controls seemed ready for the next transfer as he stood frantically waving his long fingered hand in the air, urging someone to move.

John sighed, the last thing he wanted to do was stay behind but he also couldn't leave Rodney in a situation where he was likely to be tortured or put on ice. His own fate seemed to be decided; he was very weak and felt absolutely dreadful. Maybe he was near death anyway, so he sent a mental message to the keeper. _Please make him go for me, then if there's a chance help me escape too._

Nekra caught the thought and nodded. He moved closer to the platform and with a strong shove, he sent the talkative one off-balance. From then on it was an easy task to push him onto the platform. The controller wasted no time in sending McKay down to the planet below. The minute the talkative one was gone, Nekra stooped to gather the sick one in his arms, quickly placing him onto the platform. The keeper waited for the flash of the transporter that would send the Lant to safety. However, nothing happened and with a sense of dread Nekra slowly turned around to look behind him. It confirmed his worst fears, M'Bek's followers had entered the room and a quick glance at the incapacitated controller told him it was too late. They were totally outnumbered; he had failed to save the dark haired one. It left Nekra feeling absolutely wretched.

John lay exhausted where Nekra had placed him. A sense of dread and melancholy threatened to overwhelm him. He had been so close to freedom and now he faced the possibility of yet more callous torture. Only this time he knew he wouldn't last very long before the release of death finally took him away. Or maybe the answer was to try and ascend, thereby giving the maniac no pleasure in seeing him die. But he wasn't sure he had the ability to just let go, especially when feeling so wretched and in such great pain. So he slowly became resigned to his fate. If nothing else, at least he had the knowledge that his team were probably safe. As their leader and good friend, it had been his duty to see them to safety. He hoped they had understood that, especially Teyla as she had been adamant about not leaving him until last. Whatever, their safety was enough to console him and maybe help him to face whatever happened in the next few hours. He only hoped that he could do so with courage and dignity.

John turned his head to the keeper and locked eyes with him. He managed to convey his thanks just before the ugly countenance of his torturer appeared before him. John wanted to stick the shock rod in his intimidating eyes but the weapon was easily yanked out of his weak grasp by an underling. A sigh escaped his lips and John closed his eyes, switching his mind to more pleasant thoughts. His team were safe, so now he could let go and fly. The room swam, his ears buzzed and just before darkness descended, he felt himself being roughly lifted.

Nekra watched two of M'Bek's supporters carry the sick one away with little care or attention. He bravely turned to the master researcher and issued an angry bark. _*Where are you taking him?*_

M'Bek sneered. *_I do not have to answer to the likes of you! You are a traitor and a disgrace to this ship! You will be severely punished for your crimes but first I have a far more important matter to deal with. My continuing research on the animal you tried to save. Guards take this traitor away and put him with the others!* _

oOo

The commander frantically paced the length of the control room, his long fingers intertwining with nervous anticipation as he moved. His skin had also turned a darker shade of blue, caused by the worry and uncertainty. He had greatly underestimated M'Bek and because of that the researcher now had control of two thirds of the ship. That only left the bridge and two other control centres still under his direct command. Unfortunately that didn't include the auxiliary transfer room in Section A. His aid had failed to return, so he had no news of the Lanteans fate. Whether they made it off the ship or not wasn't one hundred percent certain. The commander sincerely hoped they had for everyone's' sake.

Despite this setback, the commander was confidence that he could hold onto the command centre. It would be essential for the sake of all the species on board and those Zylan left loyal to him. He had no illusion that things would change dramatically if he couldn't maintain control. M'Bek had turned into a devious, ambitious dictator intent on inflicting much suffering to those poor creatures they found. Obliviously the centuries of cloning had affected his mind and driven him mad. The M'Bek the commander had read about from earlier reports had been intelligent and benevolent. Or just maybe the reports have been somewhat exaggerated or even incorrect.

It puzzled the commander as to how quickly M'Bek had managed to influence his fellow researchers, guards, crew members and even some of the keepers? It went beyond the commander's comprehension. The researcher must have lied about the events leading up to his mutiny and was probably keeping the witnesses of his cruel and sadistic treatment under lock and key. He prayed that they were still alive as no Zylan had ever been murdered on this ship and he sincerely hoped that the first time wouldn't be under his command. But even though it went against his principals, he would fight if necessary to regain control of his ship and then some serious reforms would be needed. And the quicker he regained control the better. However, one thing was for sure, if M'Bek survived this matter he would never, ever be allowed to clone himself again.

oOo

Teyla sat in the grassy glen, tears threatening to spill at any moment. They had waited for John to appear, waited silently with nail biting hope as the minutes ticked by until it became oblivious that he wouldn't be coming. Now she cursed and shook with sorrow just as Ronon and the abnormally quiet Rodney probably did. They were all pale and shaken to the core because they had abandoned their friend and leader to the most horrible fate.

Their judgement had been so wrong; they had left John behind when he should have gone first. On one hand, Ronon had been correct; the planet could have held danger for him. As it turned out it was the same planet they had been taken from. The Stargate was just a walk away. So why had she listened to John? The time had been so short and John's argument had been so very strong and clear. Torren needed her and he certainly didn't deserve to lose her at such a young age. But neither did he deserve to lose his Uncle John whom he loved so much. And yet he probably had.

The tears came freely now, tears that Teyla no longer made any attempt to hide. A hand landed on her shoulder, she turned and buried herself in Ronon's arms. However, this wasn't the time or place to mourn their loss, so she quickly got her emotions under control. She glanced at Rodney, he looked shaken to the core and tears glistened in his eyes.

"What now?" he asked, with a voice shaky with emotion.

Managing to stand, Teyla whispered. "We had better go back and report this."

Ronon nodded, he looked devastated and remorseful. "Come on. We'd better head for the Stargate just in case they try to recapture us."

Teyla knew Ronon would blame himself for this and the thought worried her greatly. But now was not the time for talking, so she simply nodded and started to move off just as the world shimmered around her.

tbc.

_Thanks for the great reviews and support. Don't fear I will continue posting this story. It has about 7 more chapters to go. They are written in draft form so just need a bit of tweaking. I think I'd better put the record straight while I haven't lived in the U.K. for years I did grow up there so English is my mother tongue. I'm sure my English teacher would still despair at some of my grammar if she were still alive, which I very much doubt.  
_


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you for all your very welcome support. You're right I should be able to write what I want without worrying if it offends one individual. I hope the reviewer hasn't stopped reading as she did say she was enjoying the story up until that point. It's raining cats and dogs here today so it's given me chance to post the next chapter. Enjoy!_

Part 14

M'Bek stood gloating over his unconscious sickly looking victim. For him a great victory had been won this day. He had the pure Lantean creature back in his possession and it was only a matter of time before he had the others, as he intended to scan the planet and recapture them. His sick mind totally dismissed the fact that he still needed to conquer the rest of the ship as the scanning and navigation equipment were both located on the bridge.

He turned to the group of frightened healers, who were no doubt worried about his wrath for their earlier cooperation with Commander Tikan. _*Well how close to death is it?*_

The chief of medicine D'Zol hung his neck in obedience. _*With all due respect, Master M'Bek, when we were first called to render aid to the creature it was very close to death. However, it does seem to have been somewhat helped by the infusion of fluids and drugs, although there is no guarantee that it will not expire within the next time period or so.*_

M'Bek scowled, greatly displeased to hear D'Zol's opinion. He controlled the urge to lash out at the healer as he needed all his concentration to plan for his next move. While he eventually wanted the creature to expire, if it did so before he was able to do any more live research on it, then he may not be able to find the illusive organ that had allowed the earlier specimen to disappear. Also if it died now it would leave him deprived of the pleasure of watching the insolent creature die under his knife. It was a dilemma that left his mad mind totally derailed.

He finally managed to work out a solution after staring at the creature for a good few minutes. Although he hadn't planned on doing any further research quite so quickly or before the Lantean had had time to recover a little more, M'Bek came to the conclusion that he could not take the risk of leaving the creature untouched. So before he did anything else, including taking full control of the ship, he determined it was time to gather all his loyal researchers to finish what he had started.

He turned to the healers. _*You will do whatever is necessary to keep the animal alive. When I return in a quarter time segment I want it revived and fully aware.*_

Three heads nodded in confirmation but D'Zol felt he had to point something out. His nervousness made his whistle stinted and croaky._*Honourable M'Bek, to do such would mean using drugs that could bring an instant death upon the Lantean.* _

M'Bek totally ignored the important part of the statement. _*Did you just call it by its species name?*_

_*Why yes, I do believe that is what they are called and if I may be so bold, they are somewhat intelligent and researching them does go against our principals and the Zylan seal of conduct.*_

M'Bek's face turned an angry purple. _*How many times must I repeat myself? These creatures have no intelligence! They are dumb, stupid, and brainless! Is that clear?* _He reached for his shock rod with his good hand, striking the healer across the chest with the weapon set at maximum. D'Zol crumpled to the floor with a scream. _*You will not question my actions ever again! Is that understood?*_

Although in great pain D'Zol meekly nodded. Inwardly, he seethed. M'Bek had gone too far and the healer recognised his fanatical, preposterous thinking as the mind of a being gone psychotic. Now if only M'Bek's fellow researchers and followers would recognise that fact and counter rebel, then all would be well. D'Zol swore to try and convince them of M'Bek's state of mind. However, there wasn't much time to save the poor helpless Lantean lying before him.

oOo

The Zylan researchers gathered, tall and imposing as they stood over the pale skinned creature lying on the grey metal dissection table. M'Bek's laboratory wasn't that big, yet somehow they had all managed to find a place for what promised to be an interesting research experiment.

Of course, they had left enough room for the great master to spread out once he arrived. The researchers were all slightly terrified of M'Bek, of his power and his wrath. His imposing figure left them quaking and dutiful, but most saw collaboration with him as a means of promotion for their own selfish needs. So they intended to cooperate in this necessary research despite the fact that D'Zol had tried to convince them otherwise, even stating that the pitiful creature before them was highly intelligent.

For most of them this was the first time they had seen this particular creature close-up. They tried very hard not to believe in its intelligence, although many had observed signs of it amongst the others of its kind. What had become of those creatures was unsure, rumour had it they were all dead. One other mystery also had them puzzled, what had happened to their colleagues Ib'lec and Ebloc. The ambitious young researchers would not have missed this opportunity for anything and yet they were nowhere to be seen.

The room quietened as the great M'Bek himself entered, whistling some low key curses under his breath. The gathered researchers all turned to look at him and one brave soul dared to ask. _*Is there a problem, master?*_

M'Bek looked at the speaker and scowled. _*Nothing that concerns a mere underling like you Q'Tan.* _He scanned the sea of faces. *_Where is that useless healer?*_

D'Zol came from the back of the room, rather reluctantly it seemed._*I am here.* _

M'Bek's scowl deepened, he had plans for the healer that included a one way trip out of an airlock, but right now he needed him and his drugs. _*You will awaken the creature as I requested and you will inject some __Selomin to prevent premature shock__. Do not question it or it will be the last thing you do. And place a translator near the creature, I wish it to know exactly what I have in mind for it.*_

The sea of blue heads turned in confusion. If the creature was supposedly unintelligent, then how could it possibly understand a translated message? Also there was no sign of a monitor disc on its forehead, which as far as they knew was the only method of communication, unless M'Bek had done something that was highly forbidden. It was yet another mystery, one that no one questioned as the healer reluctantly injected the creature with the drug that would bring it back to life.

John's eyes snapped open and his heart pounded so hard he thought it might actually leap out of his chest. The same rhythmic pulse pounded in his head giving him one hell of a headache. It seemed they had revived him somehow, so his nightmare continued and it looked like he wouldn't be getting a break by dying any time soon. His blurred vision consisted of a wall of shaded blue but smack bang in the middle stood the dreaded tinge of purple. So the maniac researcher was back and it looked like he had brought his pals along to play. Only it was him they wanted to play with.

_*We will start by cutting into its chest cavity. I do not want it to expire immediately, so we must be very careful about how we proceed and do not cause too much blood loss.* _

When John heard those translated words in his throbbing head, it was enough to send his heart into overdrive. A cold shiver travelled the length of his body. M'Bek was plotting his future. It certainly didn't look good.

Another softer voice questioned. _*Master M'Bek what exactly do you hope to find?*_

There was a slight pause before M'Bek spoke again._*Many millennia ago I had one of these creatures in this very place, on this very table. We conducted a short research program, removing several organs. Then for some inexplicable reason just as it expired, the creature dissolved in the form of a bright light. I have wished to find out why for a very long time now. I believe these creatures have a special organ or something like that. It must cause the body to dissipate upon death. If that is the case, then it would be unique in the Universe.* _

That didn't sound right. Only the mind of a mad being could possibly think such a thing. If John could have seen the others more clearly, he would have noticed their doubt and confusion. But right now he had other concerns and quite frankly he was terrified as it seemed the maniac was determined to inflict as much pain as he could just to find out about something he could never understand or discover. Ascension was probably out of M'Bek's realm of comprehension. Heck John know about it, had even witnessed Teer and her people ascend but that didn't mean that he understood the process. Only that you had to clear your head of all thoughts and let your mind float free, which if you were about to die a painful and horrible death was not an easy task to do.

Nevertheless, John wasn't the type to give up and not meet the challenge. As he had no other choice, he would attempt to ascend and not give the mad alien the satisfaction of further mutilating his body. So although it was difficult with all his pain and anguish, John attempted to clear his mind and meditate.

oOo

Wanting to regain full command as quickly as possible, the commander had sent out his most loyal staff to try and regain some less important sections while he and a small group of crewmembers had systematically moved to regain section A. The few M'Bek supporters holding the transfer room had been quickly overrun. It had been a bloodless struggle as the four mutineers had soon realised it was a no win situation. Disarmed of their shock rods they stood with heads bowed low, seeking forgiveness and asking for mercy. Commander Tikan ignored them to glance at his aid who sat dejected in one corner. Bruised and battered from far too many shock rod strikes. The controller lay slumped, seemingly unconscious over his console. A crewmember quickly checked for a pulse. Finding it strong, he informed his commander who gave a thankful bark.

_*Where is M'Bek and what happened to the Lanteans?*_ Tikan asked, in a much more demanding way.

His aid raised her head with difficulty. _*We managed to transport all the Lanteans except the sick one, commander. I lost consciousness shortly thereafter, so I have no idea where M'Bek and others took it...him.*_

The commander was saddened to hear the news. He had hoped they had all made it off the ship. _*I can guess where M'Bek took him...to his laboratory to finish what he started. I fear we may very well be too late to save the Lantean, but let us press on and try to regain total control. And lock these four up until I have time to deal with them.*_

There were nods of acknowledgement just as a young crewmember entered to give the commander an urgent message.

oOo

A sharp jolt of incredible pain broke John's mediation. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He gasped for air as an agonizing scream escaped his lips_. _What the hell had they just done to him? Then he remembered the ugly ones comment about cutting into his chest. Had they really done that? It certainly felt like it and John thought he would die any minute just from the shock of it.

John snapped his eyes open to look directly at the alien standing over him. It held a bloodied scalpel poised over his chest. The alien hesitated as John sent a pleading message through the link. _Please help me!_

Senior researcher T'Lazen looked down in shock. Had the creature just spoken in his mind? He questioned how this could be if the creature was as dumb and brainless as M'Bek had claimed. The master researcher must be mistaken, so T'Lazen slowly lowered his knife. _*I am sorry, M'Bek, I will go no further as I believe this creature is well aware of what we are doing to it.*_

This was really the last straw for M'Bek. Why did he allow underlings to do his work for him? He made a clumsy grab for the scalpel with his still healing hand. It nearly slipped between his damaged fingers, enraging him further. _*Why do you always question my authority? When this is over I will punish you, T'Lazen until you have learnt the lesson of total obedience. As for anyone else willing to disobey me, the airlock is waiting and I will not hesitate to use it. Now for the last time, this creature is not intelli...*_

John pushed aside his agony to make one last desperate plea of defiance. _Yes I am!_

All of the researchers heard it loud and clear, including M'Bek. He suddenly realised that he had made a huge mistake by leaving the translator on. Believing his colleagues would rebel, he panicked, taking everyone by surprise when he lunged forward to plunge the scalpel into the creature's already damaged skin. With a long slashing motion, he made to cut its sternum from top to bottom regardless of whether he found the illusive organ or not, or whether the action killed the Lantean instantly.

Agony ripped through John. Darkness closed in, threatening to destroy the light. His ears buzzed so loudly he nearly missed the sound of the voice._ "John you must ascend now!"_

The scalpel moved and the creature screeched just as it began to dissolve.

tbc


	15. Chapter 15

Part 15

M'Bek stood motionless, totally disbelieving. It had happened again and the knowledge finally drove him over the edge to complete psychosis. He slowly turned to face the terrified researchers, eyes bulging wildly as he suddenly lashed out at the nearest body with his bloody scalpel. The move took the unsuspecting researcher completely by surprise. He looked down in shock at the deep gash that ran across his shoulder then promptly fainted. It saved his life as M'Bek's second lunge met only thin air.

The incident only added fuel to M'Bek's rage. He spun to face the others, scalpel held straight out. His shrill whistle echoed around the lab. _*You will all pay for this misdeed with your lives!* _

Wondering why it was their fault they all hastily backed away, giving their enraged boss a very healthy distance. None of them really knew what to do next as M'Bek was standing directly between them and the exit. No one had any weapons other than a few scalpels and their mad boss was getting madder by the minute. His skin had gone an unhealthy deep puce colour. They could even see blood vessels protruding prominently in his neck and head. As M'Bek continued to rant on and on about injustice and their incompetence, his veins pulsed with pressure as if about to burst.

T'Lazen took a bold step forward to point it out. _*Please calm down, M'Bek, or you risk damaging your health.*_

_*Calm down! How can I stay calm when the creature has been taken away from me yet again! It is all the fault of that keeper! Where is he? I will extract my revenge on him immediately!* _

Nobody said anything, fearing that the master was about to kill one of their own. Once again, M'Bek took them by surprise when he suddenly dashed off, well as quickly as the ungainly Zylan could. T'Lazen and several others made to follow at a discreet distance as they were concerned for Nekra's safety. Especially as the unused enclosure where the keeper was being held was located very near to the ship's most dangerous inhabitants.

oOo

From a distance it looked like a dot but close-up, the ship if you could call it that was truly massive. For something so huge it glided gracefully on its passage through the stars. Hard to believe they had spent over three weeks onboard that thing without even realising the great research ship was a perfect sphere, apart from a few strange appendages.

Cool when Rodney really thought about it as it could have rivalled the Death Star if Vader had been onboard. Plus the addition of a deathly super-laser, of course but who knows maybe they had one. Well, they had no Darthy but the mad researcher had been bad enough, at least for Sheppard.

McKay dragged himself away from the viewport, feeling jittery and apprehensive as he thought back to the events only a few hours in the past.

_There had been many instances when Rodney had thought he had lost his friend but now it seemed he really had. He could hardly contemplate life without John. The depressing thought made his head hang low in heavy-hearted misery as he began to move toward the Stargate accompanied by his surviving teammates. Sluggishly, he put a foot forward onto the soft spongy grass and in the next instant his foot met a hard metal surface. Rodney's heart hammered and his head snapped up expecting to see a sea of alien faces, instead he saw a weary smile break out on Sam Carter's very concerned face. By some miracle it seemed they had been beamed aboard the General Hammond._

_Shortly after arriving they made a desperate bid to rescue Sheppard from the alien ship. It seemed hopeless at first as no trace of John's sub-q could be found. Then Rodney discovered that the alien vessel was well protected by a powerful force field, which probably accounted for them not being able to locate the colonel. Of course there was also the possibility his sub-q had been removed. In his distress and with growing anger, Ronon wanted to beam over with a full assault team but the force field meant that was also not possible._

_With their frustration and fear for John escalating they tried communicating, even though there was little chance of the aliens understanding them. At first nothing changed, and then unbelievably the force field simply disappeared. Meaning they were able to lock onto Sheppard's transmitter and have him beamed directly to the infirmary. _

_John's hasty arrival was greeted by a panicky medical team as they fought to save the colonel's life. Rodney caught a glimpse of too much blood and pale naked skin before John was whisked away to the operating theatre. It left Rodney with a very bad feeling indeed, as losing even more blood could not be good for Sheppard, not a good thing at all. And being a hypochondriac Rodney knew well enough the consequences of hypovolemic shock, the worse being major organ failure. _

And the medical staff had been frantic about John's dangerously low blood pressure and weak, thready pulse. It all added up making the waiting game so much more difficult.

oOo

Lowering the shields had been a gamble. When they had first detected the strange small ship, Commander Tikan had ordered the shields raised in order to protect them from possible attack. It wasn't the first time that had happened during his command period. However, this time something had reassured him. It might have been intuition. Or it may have been the fact that the vessel had made no aggressive moves toward them and had even started broadcasting a message. It had been gibberish but very familiar gibberish, so he had ordered the shields lowered. Then came the news of the Lantean's disappearance. Tikan had sighed with relief, hoping that the ship had been responsible.

Shortly thereafter the mutineers had all surrender without a fight. So all that was left for the commander to sort out was M'Bek. The master researcher was last reported heading for the slime tanks that held the dangerous flesh eating Tibish worms. Tikan couldn't even begin to guess why he would want to go there.

oOo

M'Bek stopped at the junction leading to the tanks. His breathes coming fast and shallow. He really should exercise more often but years spent in dedicated research had left him with very little spare time. However thanks to him, the Zylan's now had a wealth of knowledge and he intended to be the one to bring it to Zylania when they eventually decided to return home. Of course that would mean many more cloning cycles for him to go through. The only disappointed would be not having the knowledge of the Lantean creatures and why they disappeared upon death.

The more he thought about it, the more incensed he became. In his sick mind the only way to appease his anger was kill the one he considered responsible for the all important loss. So it was with great determination that M'Bek moved onward to the place where Nekra and his traitorous researchers were being held.

oOo

Nekra was worried. If he kept still for too long his jitters caused him to shake from head to toe. So he paced around the enclosure on his long lanky legs, avoiding eye contact with his companions as much as possible. He knew they were fearful too because something was wrong, he just sensed it. The two guards who had stayed with them at the beginning had simply left without a sound some time ago. They couldn't be sure whether that was a good sign or not.

Nekra suddenly halted when his sensitive hearing picked up a sound that wasn't there before. He exchanged a nervous glance with the others. They also stood alert and apprehensive, their eyes frantically scanning the area for any sign of movement. Then the lights suddenly went out, plunging the area into total darkness. Nekra's two hearts picked up a pace. This was not a good sign at all.

Ebloc stood near the keeper, his eyes trying to penetrate the gloom for any movement. He broke the silence with a low whistle. _*I do not like this.*_ Nekra only answered with a nod, which Ebloc just made out even though he was standing quite close. Ib'lec remained silent, his fear quite visible even in the darkness as his body shook violently.

A discernible click made them flinch. All three Zylan's turned as one, auditory organs attuned for the slightest sound. Despite having multifaceted eyes their night vision was somewhat limited, so when M'Bek suddenly appeared directly in front of them they nearly jumped out of their skins. The sight of his wild eyes, foaming mouth, and almost black skin was enough to make them run like Hoskee racers, but the master researcher had blocked their escape route.

Ebloc's whistle came out all squeaky when he got the nerve to ask. _*What do you want from us, master?* _

*_Retribution for your interference. Thanks to you three, especially you keeper, my plans for the creature have failed. By delaying matters, it was near death by the time I got it back into my laboratory, meaning it simply disappeared before I could do my experiments. Just like the first one had.*_

Nekra and the others were sad to hear that, they had hoped that the Lantean had somehow been rescued. Now despite all their best efforts it looked like he was dead. And from the look in M'Bek's eyes they could be next. Which went against all codes of conduct as no Zylan had ever lifted a finger against another since the beginning of the great voyage of discovery, and even before that if the history reports were to be believed? For the home world of Zylania was reportedly a very peaceful place.

Finding some courage, Ib'lec came from behind Nekra and squeaked. _*Please forgive me, master. I should not have gone against your commands. I do not know what overcame me. Maybe the creature processed some special powers of influence.*_

_*Well, now we will never know will we because it is gone!* _M'Bek screeched_. *I do not care what you believe! None of you will escape my wrath! You have gone against me one last time.* _With that he lashed out with the scalpel he still carried.

The sudden attack was vicious, catching Ib'lec across the chest. Ib'lec's pale blue blood splattered all over M'Bek's torso giving him a speckled egg appearance. The injured researcher clutched his chest. He tried desperately to stem his bleeding, but shock quickly drove him to the floor where he lay still. Even in the near darkness Ib'lec appeared deadly pale and Nekra knew if he wanted to save him and not become a victim too, he had to do something fast. So he lashed out with a strength he didn't know he possessed, knocking the scalpel from M'Bek's clumsy grip. The mad Zylan screamed and made a lunge for Nekra's throat. Luckily the keeper managed to avoid his murderous hands by a hairs breath. Seizing the opportunity to slip around M'Bek's body, Nekra fled through the open door. Frantically hoping that M'Bek would follow him, thereby giving Ebloc a chance to escape and find help.

Finding a safe route in the near darkness wasn't an easy task for Nekra as this part of the ship was totally unfamiliar to him. He fled down a long passageway that he thought should lead to an exit and sure enough at the very end was a closed hatchway which he cautiously eased open. However, instead of the hoped for exit he came face to face with the infamous Tibish slime tanks. They loomed dark and menacing just a few feet away, giving Nekra quite a shock.

Everyone knew they held some very dangerous creatures indeed, but for some inexplicable reason the large tanks were left uncovered in the cavernous enclosure where they were being housed. Nekra threw a concerned look toward the bubbling slime. It was giving off a very strange foggy mist and it was said by the keepers that breathing in too much would render one unconscious. So everyone who worked here always wore breathing masks. The knowledge only added to Nekra's uneasiness. He just wanted to get away from this awful place as quickly as possible. He made to turn around just as M'Bek's menacing form loomed out of the darkness.

M'Bek quickly moved his bulk to block the keeper's escape route. _*Well, it seems you have come to the right place. A perfect place to save me the trouble of killing you. Now I suggest you take a bath as you look somewhat dirty.*_

Nekra nearly choked, the only dirt he could see was a light splattering Ib'lec's blood on his chest. As he had nothing to lose, Nekra answered boldly. Something he would never have done until recently. _*I believe you are the one in need of a bath. You have dishonoured this ship by viscously attacking Ib'lec. His blood is on your hands.* _

_*How dare you talk to me like that! I will punish traitors as I choose fit. Now you will feed the Tibish with your unless hide. Take a step back this instant and enter the tank!* _

Nekra looked over his shoulder at the surging mud. The Tibish must have sensed their presence and were waiting for the extra meal to arrive. Nekra had no desire to become that meal, so he had to remain strong.

Even in the dark Nekra could see that M'Bek was sick. His face looked distorted, positively hideous, almost vibrating with added pressure. White froth dribbled from his mouth and some of it sprayed outwardly as he sputtered._ *I ordered you into the mud tank! Now move or I will force you in there.*_

_*I have no wish to go in there, so I believe you will have to force me.* _Nekra stood his ground, waiting for M'Bek to make his move. Watching, anticipating with surprising calmness.

The head researcher wasn't overly fast but he carried far more weight than Nekra. His derailed mind only wanted the keeper dead, so he rushed forward aiming to push Nekra into the mud. However he totally misjudged his coordination, making his lunge clumsy and way too low. The manoeuvre gave Nekra plenty of time to side step while the researcher's forward momentum sent him toppling toward the edge of the nearest tank.

Seeing the danger he was in, M'Bek attempted to right himself but tripped over his own six toed feet at the very last moment. He landed with a belly popping thud on the hard floor only inches from the bubbling slime. One arm lay out stretched, half in the mud. It only took a matter of seconds for the first worm to appear, giving M'Bek no time to remove his limb. The worm's gaping mouth, although toothless, latched onto M'Bek's hand with sucker like pads and immediately acid started to flow through special glands on either side of its mouth. Acid that could dissolve a creature's flesh in a matter of minutes. M'Bek screamed loudly as his hand started to dissolve and the pain hit. He turned pleading eyes toward the keeper.

Nekra looked on in utter shock. Part of him wanted to push the researcher further into the worm infested mud. However, he wasn't a murderer, so he hastily made a grab for M'Bek's legs and attempted to pull him further away from the tank. The bulk weight of M'Bek's body made the task almost impossible and he'd hardly moved him an inch before the room suddenly began to spin wildly. Nekra tried to move away but his legs gave out and he stumbled to his knees, unconscious before he hit the ground.

oOo

McKay stopped his pacing to comment for the hundredth time. "What's taking so long? Surely they should have been out by now?"

"Aye, Rodney, they should but I'm afraid things aren't going so well."

Rodney's heart nearly stopped. "Carson! What are you doing here?" he asked before the others could.

Carson Beckett moved over to stand closer to the team. He looked concerned. "I've just beamed up from the planet after they contacted Atlantis for help. It seems they need lots more of the colonel's blood type. I happened to be visiting the city, so I volunteered to deliver it personally. Good job we have to keep an extra large supply." Carson said, trying to lighten the mood. It fell flat as no one reacted.

Teyla looked up from her seated position. Carson could see dark rings under her red eyes, making her look years older. "Does he stand a chance?" she quietly asked.

"I just handed over the blood so didn't have much of a chance to ask. I intend to scrub up and join them if they're still in the OR. Thought I'd better come and see you folks first though. See how you're holding up?"

"We have been better. Our worry for John is great."

"Aye, lass that I can understand. I don't know all the gruesome details, only the short summary from Colonel Carter."

"Why didn't she inform us about the need for more blood and contacting Atlantis?" Rodney asked in an accusatory tone.

Carson didn't want to get involved with Rodney's crankiness, so he moved away from him with the intention of leaving. "You'll have to ask her. Now if you don't mind I think I'll go and see if I can be of some assistance."

"You're keep us informed!" The team requested as one.

Carson nodded as he quickly left the small waiting area.

tbc

_Thank you once again for all the super reviews. This wasn't the easiest chapter to write and I'm hoping there aren't too many errors. I'm also very pleased to know that you're still reading the story Becky._


	16. Chapter 16

Part 16

It actually wasn't all that long before Carson returned. Which had the team really worried and scared, especially as Sam Carter was with him. Fearing the worst both Ronon and Rodney finally sat down.

"He's dead isn't he?" Rodney murmured.

"Oh my, aren't we negative," Carson replied, "No, he's not dead but we do have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Teyla quietly asked.

Carson looked to Sam Carter, who answered. "I think it's best if we discuss this privately in my quarters." She didn't wait for an answer before leading the way.

Once there, Sam invited everyone to sit down before asking Carson to explain things to John's team. The Scot sighed but held their gaze, noting their very worried faces. He couldn't blame them, so he gave them the more positive news to begin with. "First off, the surgeons have managed to stem the bleeding. The damage to his chest cavity was quite extensive but thankfully his heart wasn't involved. Despite that he still crashed a couple of times but they managed to get him back. He's stable at the moment but as you can imagine he'd lost an awful amount of blood, which they had to replenish as quickly as possible. Hence my hasty visit."

"Yes, yes, we know all that, so what's the problem?" Rodney asked, his usual impatience at Carson's long winded explanations plainly showing.

"I was about to tell you if you hadn't of interrupted, Rodney." Carson complained. "Once he was stable enough we naturally gave him a thorough check-over to be sure there weren't any more serious injuries other than the obvious ones. He shows signs of great physical abuse but..."

"We know all about that, Carson."

"Aye, I guess you do, although you were probably unaware of the brain implant."

There was a pregnant pause until Ronon grunted. "What implant?"

"We only knew about the disc." Rodney added.

Carson looked puzzled. "What disc?"

"The aliens had attached a round metal disc to John's forehead it caused him to be blind. We noticed it had been removed when we found him in the researcher's laboratory some days ago now." Teyla explained.

Carson looked worried. "Did he regain his eyesight after the disc was removed?"

"Yes, he could see quite clearly when we made our escape."

Although somewhat relieved to hear Teyla say that, Carson requested. "You know I think it would help if you summarise your encounter with these aliens, at least the events concerning the colonel for now."

Rodney started to relate their experience with some input from Teyla and the odd grunt from Ronon. The summary didn't take long as they were anxious to know about the implant.

"Aye, well, it seems the disc may have been the external part of the implant then. They obliviously removed that but left the other part embedded for later disc reattachment maybe."

"I don't know about reattachment. That monster wanted him cut up for research. An internal implant doesn't sound good."

"Aye, Rodney, it's not. At the moment we have no way of knowing how to remove it. It's situated in the pre-frontal cortex, so there's a possibility of brain damage if we get it wrong. That part of the brain is responsible for abstract thinking and thought analysis it also regulates behaviour, so any damage could lead to a personality change or alter his decision making processes. That could be disaster for the colonel. The FEF is also located..."

"The what?"

"The frontal eye fields, Rodney. I wouldn't go into details but along with the optic nerve it's all part of your eyesight, so any damage would not be a good thing either. That's why we have a decision to make. Either we to go back and try to ask the aliens about the implant or we get John to Atlantis as soon as possible for intensive scanning using the Ancient machine."

The team exchanged a look. They had no desire to return to the ship or take John back there. And trying to communicate their needs would be near to impossible anyway. Then there was the possibility that the mad researcher was now fully in charge.

Sam spoke up for the first time. "What are the chances of being able to remove the implant after the intensive scan?"

Carson looked apprehensive. "That's difficult to say, Colonel, it would all depend on what we find. It could simply be a matter of cutting it out but if not...well like I said, it could cause damage or at the very least some memory loss."

"He's already been there, done that."

"What do you mean, Rodney?"

"He hit his forehead during the crash and later he couldn't remember crashing or the aliens taking us."

"But he still knew who he was, Atlantis and you folks?" There were nods all around. "Okay, a bad concussion can cause slight amnesia, especially concerning the event that caused the head injury. Which brings us back to the implant and what to do about it."

Everyone looked at a loss, deep in their own private thoughts until Ronon broke the silence to ask. "What if we leave it alone?"

"And what? Don't tell him?" Rodney added.

"Firstly, we're not sure that's an option and secondly, what if he finds out. I think he's going to have enough physiological problems to contend with without that hanging over his head. No pun intended."

Teyla's concerns were more immediate. "What are his chances of surviving this anyway? You said he has lost much blood."

"The next thirty hours or so will be critical. If he makes it through that, then I have every reason to believe he'll be okay. That gives us some time to decide about the implant because we certainly wouldn't try removing it in his present condition."

Sam Carter looked at John's team knowing how difficult this was for them. She had been in this type of situation far too many times with her former team. "What if we try to contact the alien ship and see what happens?"

Teyla looked even more concerned. "I do not wish to take John back to them but maybe they would consider coming to us. However, I believe communicating our request will be most difficult. John was the only one who had any contact with them."

"Aye, you mentioned something about it being telepathic communication, possibly because of the implant." Carson thought aloud. "But I still think we should try asking them for help."

"That's settled then. We'll try contacting them again and...," No sooner were the words out of Sam's mouth when her earpiece buzzed, she clicked it on and listened for a moment. Her face fell at the end of the one sided conversation. "Well, it's just been taken out of our hands," Faces went white thinking it was bad news about John, "The alien ship has just entered hyperspace."

"It's gone?" Rodney asked, unnecessarily.

"I'm afraid so. Looks like we're going to have to remove the implant ourselves, so I guess it's time to head back to Atlantis."

Everyone nodded. The deep concern never left their faces despite the fact they were finally going home.

oOo

Nekra woke to Ebloc's concerned face. He looked around, noting that he was in the healing section. _*What happened?*_ he managed to whistle.

_*You were overcome by slime gas, keeper. Luckily D'Zol and a few others found you and were able to pull you away before the Tibish could consume you. M'Bek was not so fortunate. By the time they arrived he had been half consumed. In a way it is ironic, as he was the one that insisted on keeping the worms for study despite the danger they posed.*_

Somehow Nekra was saddened by the news as it was no fitting end for the great researcher. Then he thought about all the terrible things M'Bek had done to some of the animals in his care, especially the dark haired Lant. _*So it is over then. I am only sad the Lant became his last victim and could not be saved.*_

Ebloc bowed his head. *_They are not called Lant, the corrected name is Lantean. And you were right about the creatures they were very intelligent. We found their belongings in M'Bek's pod quarters. They included weapons, some communication devices and a portable computing device. I have also seen their ship. It is very small but well designed. The commander believes they were able to beam the dark haired one onto the ship when he lowered the shield. That was why M'Bek thought he had disappeared upon death.*_

Nekra was pleased to hear that. Maybe the dark haired one was still alive. _*I would like to see their ship for myself. Do you think the commander would allow it?*_

Ebloc shook his head. _*The commander has decided to leave this star cluster and we already travel at light speed.*_

_*But why?*_

_*Upon the news of his death, M'Bek's followers surrendered enabling the commander to take back full control. He believed Xylo106_ _to be the home of the Lanteans and wished to leave them in peace, hence our hasty departure. So our work here is done. I am sure we will find many interesting creatures to discover in Xylo107, which is the large spiral galaxy neighbouring 106. Oh, and researcher Ib'lec still lives, the healers were able to save him.*_

That news was pleasing and Nekra acknowledge Ebloc's words with a respectful nod. The rebellion was over and life would soon be back to normal. No one had died other than M'Bek and although Nekra would never know if the dark haired one had survived or not, he hoped he had and wished him well whatever his destiny.

oOo

John woke, confused and very much disorientated. He honestly hadn't expected to wake up ever again. The last thing he remembered was trying to ascend and the worse pain he had ever encountered. Far more horrific even than Todd's feeding if that were possible, so he was mildly surprised not to feel any real pain, although his head still ached. It also felt extremely muzzy as if pumped full of happy drugs. So it took a few minutes for his sluggish brain to register any sounds or smells but eventually they began to leak through to his awareness.

His ears detected some familiar rhythmic bleeps and his nose picked up clean antiseptic odours, and thankfully the stink he had come to associate with the aliens was no longer present. Meaning he was probably back on Atlantis and in the infirmary. He sighed with gratitude and relaxed, figuring the infirmary was the best place to be right now because quite honestly he still felt like crap or at least death warmed over.

When he eventually opened his eyes enough to see, he was greeted by a pair of blue ones. "Oh, I thought you would never wake up. Do you want to sit up a bit and have an ice chip?"

"Rodney, the colonel has just woken up! Give the poor man a chance. How are you feeling?"

John blinked up at Jennifer Keller as she adjusted the position of the bed so that he was propped up a little. The room swam for a second but quickly settled down again. "Muzzy headed. Surprised to be alive," he croaked out, just before she popped an ice chip into his mouth without asking. _Who's being hasty now?_

"Yes, I imagine you must be." She looked at little uneasy, not sure whether to broach the subject of his horrific experience at such an early stage.

In the end it was Sheppard who broke the awkward barrier. "Last thing I remember was being in that awful lab full of blue aliens, intent on doing an autopsy without me being dead and all. I was thinking about asc...escaping. Guess you guys must have intervened?"

Rodney moved closer not having caught the significance of John's words. "We managed to beam you out of there. Just in the nick of time, I might add."

John looked at him confused but grateful that Rodney didn't ask for more information about how he had intended to escape. "How'd you managed that?"

Rodney opened his mouth to explain with what Jennifer knew from experience would be a long winded explanation, so she intervened before he could start. "You've just woken up after a very serious injury, Colonel. I think long explanations can wait until you're feeling a little stronger. Needless to say you're back with us now and on the road to recovery. However you're not there yet, so plenty of rest is in order and don't let Rodney disturb you too much."

Rodney shot her a look as she walked away. They had yet to remove the implant. Although Rodney kept his mouth shut for once, knowing that Sheppard was in no fit state to hear that little gem right now. By the time he returned his attention to John, his friend had already drifted off without even worrying about not having heard a full explanation. Testimony of just how weak his friend really was.

Tbc.


	17. Chapter 17

Part 17

_Coldness crept into his bones making his naked body shiver uncontrollably. Long limbed creatures stood over him, menacingly. Their bright blue, bony fingers prodding and squeezing his flesh. A sudden flash in the corner of his eye pulled John's attention away from the sea of alien faces. It was caused by the reflection of a brilliant overhead light as it bounced off a very shiny, metal surface. It took him a minute to realise the object was a very large, razor sharp blade held high by an evil looking, deep purple alien. Its glowing eyes blazed with fury as it lowered the knife onto John's chest, cutting into his flesh, drawing forth a fountain of bright red blood that spurted all over the alien's ugly face. _

_Pain didn't hit as John's brain refused to register his shock. The fountain gushed higher spreading his life's blood all over the sea of alien faces. They slowly turned purple. Their mouths opened with glee as long snake like tongues whipped out to lap at the droplets. Then as if he were tied to a gyroscope his body started rotating back and forward, up and down. It became a tug of war with purple aliens on one side and shimmering beings without form on the other. They fought over him as if he was a prize to be won. Pressure built...his joints stretched and exploded with a burst... _

John jolted awake and gave a trembling whimper. Mortified by the sound as soon as it left his lips, but it was something he didn't seem to be able to control at present time. Hopefully nobody had heard him.

"Colonel! It's all right, it was just a bad dream."

That was Marie's voice, obviously she had. He opened his eyes to see her worried face hovering over him as she tried to reassure. "Sorry, for a minute there..." He said no more, not wanting to reveal the content of his nightmare.

Marie wasn't fooled for a minute. The head nurse could only guess what kind of dream the colonel had just had. It certainly wasn't the first time he had cried out in his sleep but she didn't pursue the matter knowing how embarrassed the man could get at showing any signs of weakness.

It was four days now since his miraculous rescue from his latest harrowing experience, and although he was showing much improvement, doctors Keller and Beckett had yet to tell him about the implant. They insisted he still wasn't ready for that piece of news. Marie personally thought they shouldn't leave it much longer. The colonel was a smart man and won't appreciate being pussy footed around. Also, he was suffering from increased headaches in the frontal lobe, indicating a potential problem either with the implant or a possible rejection issue. In order to find out they needed to use the Ancient scanner, meaning they had to give him a good explanation as to why a scan was necessary.

Right now her main concern was getting him settled down again. It was the middle of the night and he really needed to sleep some more. She could see him shaking even though he tried very hard not to show it. Marie glanced at the monitor. "How is your pain level?"

John's head was thumping in rhythm to his heart. He decided not to play it down and ask for some pain meds, even though he really didn't want to go back to sleep to face yet another horrid nightmare. "Head's hurting some, so about a seven. Could you give me something that won't make me too drowsy?"

Marie knew he was on morphine for the chest pain but was slowly being weaned off. The last dose was over five hours ago. "I'll go and speak to the duty doctor. Maybe plain old Tylenol will help."

John nodded, wincing at the flash of pain that spiked in his forehead. It felt very similar to the pain he'd experienced when wearing the ghastly disc, leaving him pretty sure that something still wasn't quite right. He needed answers and first thing tomorrow he intended to confront Keller or Beckett.

Marie returned a few minutes later with a glass of water and a couple of extra strength caplets. John swallowed them gratefully and appeared to settle down until the nurse had left. Then he let the tremors he'd been holding back take over until they finally abated enough not to be noticeable.

Sleep eluded him, for which he was grateful. Yet when he didn't sleep, the memories returned along with the threat of tears. John's father had always insisted that a real man should not cry and for Patrick that may have been true, but his father had never witnessed or experienced the horrors that John had. Yet despite everything, John had always managed to keep his emotions in check only to let a tear fall in private on a few odd occasions. This time it was different. His experience onboard the alien ship had left him feeling extremely traumatised and even shoving it to the back of his mind wasn't helping any. His emotions were right on the surface ready to erupt at the slightest thing. He liked to blame it on the drugs but John began to wonder if life would ever be normal again. He could now sympathise with all those poor souls who claimed alien abduction.

It may have been a shocking experience but at the end of the day he would have to learn to cope with it. He had responsibilities to fulfil, people to protect and Wraith to kill. So as soon as his health returned to normal, John intended to do just that. However right now he just couldn't control it, so he buried his face under the covers and silently let the tears flow, knowing that no one would see him in the middle of the night.

oOo

He must have slept despite trying not to because John woke to the sound of whispering. For a moment he thought he was back on the ship, as he could have sworn he caught the sound of a shrill whistle. It turned out to be just his hyperactive imagination running wild. The sound was nothing other than the monitor above his head giving off an alarm. He didn't know why the thing was making the noise, but Carson suddenly appeared in front of him to adjust the device.

"Your pulse rate is up a bit." The Scot said casually, as if it wasn't that important. Obviously the machine thought it was. "I hear you had another nightmare last night and a dozy of a headache, so how are you feeling right now?"

John tested his feelings. His heart was pounding as if he'd had too much coffee and his head still hurt, although not quite as bad. "Still aching but not at migraine levels right now."

"And you managed to sleep dream free for a few hours." John nodded very gently so as not to trigger another bout of pain. "That's good. Okay, we'd like to get you under the scanner after breakfast."

John looked directly at him and said. "There's something wrong isn't there." It wasn't a question and seeing as Carson didn't reply immediately, John continued. "I get these flashes of intense pain whenever I move my head too much."

"Aye, well that's what we'd like to talk about once we get you checked out. But first off you need to try and eat a little something." With that Carson walked away before John could say he didn't feel like anything, especially as the doc had all but confirmed that there was something seriously amiss.

oOo

John lay as still as possible on the hard surface of the scanner bed, which was proving very difficult indeed because the whole situation was way too much of a reminder of his time in the alien's lab. Flat on his back, hard surface, a sea of faces. All be it far friendlier and prettier ones. At least he wasn't naked, although the hospital gown only just covered his modesty. They said the gown was necessary as they wanted to scan his whole body just to make sure. Make sure of what? Had the aliens done more to him than they were letting on?John just wanted procedure to be over and done with. Get back to his infirmary bed and try to forget the whole darn episode. He took a shuddering breath and the tremors threatened again. He was cold to the core just like he always felt these days.

A gentle hand landed lightly on his arm, trying to reassure him. "It won't be long now, Colonel." The female voice told him. John couldn't place it and guessed it was one of the nurses but her reassurance didn't help his trembling. "Okay, we're taking you back now." The same voice told him. The shakes suddenly got worse and John couldn't hear or feel a thing anymore. The room started to turn and his ears buzzed loudly as if a million bees had suddenly taken up residence. Then he went super cold as the blood drained from his face.

He woke sometime later to Rodney's frantic voice asking. "What happened?"

"Rodney, please try to calm down. Doing the scan proved too much for him, I should have known it would make him uneasy." That was Keller's voice.

"So he fainted?"

"No, I passed out," John murmured, "Although I don't know why. I'm not usually in the habit of passing out." That was so true. Everyone present had witnessed times when Sheppard was still conscious while others around him had been out for the count. He usually had a very strong constitution, unless stunned by Ronon or a Wraith that was.

"You're only human Colonel. Seriously though, it was a bit more than just passing out." Jennifer told him. "You've been unconscious for about half an hour now. Although we believe it was due to the stress of the scan there is another factor that could have caused it."

So they had found something. John didn't like the sound of that but he needed to know. "Okay, give it to me straight, but first of I want to sit up a bit."

Jennifer quickly adjusted the bed making John more comfortable as he looked around, noting a sea of worried faces that included his team, Carson Beckett and even the head nurse. "How's your headache now?" Jennifer asked with professional care.

"Manageable. I'll tell you quick enough if it gets really bad."

Jennifer had to accept that, knowing the colonel's headache was already above average tolerance for most people. "Okay then." She turned to look at the people gathered around. "Maybe you could let me talk to my patient alone for a moment, except for you of course Carson."

John looked at her wondering what could be so bad that his team couldn't hear what she had to say. "It's okay, whatever you have to tell me can be said in front of them."

"If you're absolutely sure?" John gave a gentle nod. "Actually they already know some of the details." Jennifer told him. "Okay then, the aliens apparently put some kind of disc on your forehead, which they eventually removed. However, it must have only been the visible part of an implant that currently sits in your brain. When you were rescued and still on Colonel Carter's ship, Carson and the other doctors wanted to enlist the help of the aliens to remove it. Unfortunately they jumped into hyperspace before they could even attempt to ask for assistance."

John felt his heartbeat quicken at the news. He felt blood drain from his face, no doubt making him even more ashen than he already was. It seemed his troubles weren't over yet, not by a long shot. When he managed to find his voice, he asked. "So what does that mean for me then?" Hoping his people didn't notice the slight quiver or the dampness in his eyes.

Of course they did but chose not to point it out as they could all see how distressing the news was for John. But that was only natural. It would have taken an exceptionally tough person not to be affected, someone with no sensitivity at all. Thank goodness despite having problems expressing his himself, John wasn't that person. He wore his emotions on his face so everyone knew exactly how he really felt. Right now he looked like a scared little boy.

Jennifer looked at him and tried to give him a reassuring smile. It didn't come over very convincingly. "The scan showed that we can try to remove it. In fact, considering the headaches you're experiencing I would say it has to be removed, and the sooner the better. But it won't be without a certain amount of risk. It will be a delicate procedure and the slightest error could leave you with temporary or permanent problems such as personality changes, memory loss or in the worst case scenario, visual impairment."

John looked at his team, now knowing why they had all shown such concern. He rubbed the spot where the disc had been. "You're kidding me right?"

"I'm afraid not, Colonel. As I said it will be a difficult operation, but it appears we really have no choice in the matter."

"Okay, but what do you think would happen if we left it in?" John asked, even though he didn't like the idea of carrying around a piece of alien metal in his brain for the rest of his life.

"As I said, I don't think that's an option. Your headaches are getting steadily worse and there is every sign your body is beginning to reject the implant. The scan showed slight swelling and your blood pressure has also been elevated the last couple of days, and you never had a problem with that before. It could be they gave you some form of drug to stop any rejection without you even realising it."

Jennifer paused there; the colonel still looked so unsure, frightened even. It was so unlike him, so she chose not to mention that the implant could also be partially organic in nature, which could greatly complicate its removal. Although they wouldn't know until they actually got in and had a look. When she spoke again it was to try and convince him. "I have no idea why the aliens implanted such a thing in the first place but if we don't remove it, it could eventually cause greater swelling or even haemorrhaging. And we all know how dangerous that can be."

John thought back to Elizabeth and her ordeal. "Oh great. Not much of a choice then? I wondered why I could still understand them even after the disc had been removed. Just promise me one thing, doc. You'll do everything you can not to damage my eyesight. Without that...well, you all know what that would mean for my career." Nobody answered as each thought about the terrible consequences for John if that happened. His Air Force commission would be over and so would his life on Atlantis, no doubt.

McKay broke the silence to try and lighten the mood. "Maybe getting rid of your tendency to make inappropriate jokes wouldn't be such a bad thing. Oh, and the arbitrary numbers thing when we're under pressure."

"That's what keeps you on your toes, McKay."

"I believe it would be better if the colonel suffered no such personality changes, I like him the way he is."

John gave the female member of his team a small smile. "Thanks, Teyla. At least someone appreciates my sense of humour."

"I did not say I like your jokes but it is a part of you that would be sadly missing should you change."

Beckett decided to intervene at that point. "Quite frankly I don't want anything to change either, so we will do our best to make sure that doesn't happen."

John nodded his appreciation, wincing at the pain it caused. "Yeah, so when does this party begin then?"

Jennifer answered him. "We have a few things to organise first, but I guess you'd rather get it over and done with?" John gave another very small nod. "Right then, as you're now fit enough to withstand a lengthy operation we'll schedule it for 14.00 hours. Is that OK?"

"Yeah fine, it'll give me less time to worry."

"Give us all less time." Rodney piped up.

Beckett looked at his colleague. "Well then, we'd best get ready Dr. Keller. And colonel, I don't need to remind you not to eat or drink anything more before the surgery, do I?"

Keller turned to Marie and asked. "How much has he had today already?"

"He can answer that doc." John said before the nurse could. "I didn't feel like eating, so only a glass of water."

"I would have said you should try to eat more, but in this case I'm glad you didn't. So no more food or drink from now on and we'll see you later." With that Jennifer left with Beckett in tow.

John looked to his team. "Okay guys, please stay and try to take my mind off things. And Teyla, if its okay I'd like to see Torren before the op. You know just in case."

Teyla felt her eyes water. "Of course, he has been asking after you. I will bring him mid-morning before his nap." She took his hand. "I am sure everything will be fine and the doctors will remove the implant successfully."

John tried to give a confident smile but somehow he couldn't muster a convincing one. Too much had gone wrong lately and his emotions threatened to overwhelm him again. He felt like crying but even though it was only his team with him, he did his utmost to hold the tears at bay. He settled for choking back a cough and changing the subject, asking Rodney what he'd been up to. For once the scientist saw the need, trying to make John laugh over the antics of one of his new minions. A certain geek called Trevor, who in Rodney's opinion should never have asked to join the expedition.

As he let his teams' voices and laughter wash over him, John tried not to think about the coming procedure. After a while he felt himself drift towards sleep until the tenor of Rodney's voice changed, he sounded flustered. "Can I get you a seat Sam?"

Rodney's words caused John to open his eyes and look at his former commander. Surprisingly, Mr. Woolsey was with her. He tried sitting up a little straighter but Sam waved him down and despite Rodney's offer, she remained standing alongside Woolsey. John tried to remember why she was here even though Woolsey had given him a full explanation the day before. "How come you and the General Hammond made the trip to Pegasus? Not that I'm ungrateful to see you."

Samantha smiled warmly. "Mr. Woolsey asked the SGC for assistance and as both the Daedalus and the Apollo were on down time, it was up to my ship to come to the rescue. On the way we made the diversion to M5P 229 and got there just in time to rescue you guys." She paused for a minute. "I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, John, but I'm sure everyone will do their best to get you through this. Actually, I'm delighted to get the opportunity to be the one to give you some good news for once."

John glanced at his team. They looked as confused as he did, especially as Sam and Woolsey were both grinning like Cheshire cats. "Have I won the lottery or something?"

Sam chuckled. "Not quite. How long have you been in service now, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Hard to believe but I've just entered my twenty third year."

"Then it's about time for this." Sam fished into her pocket and pulled out a small box. She opened it and took out the small object before moving to stand over John. "Although this is not the way I wanted to present it, it seems I have no choice as the General Hammond has to return home tomorrow. I also know you're not one for protocol, not that you're able to wear dress uniform at the moment. Anyway here we go. On behave for the President of the United States..."

Sam continued on but her words didn't exactly sink into to John's brain. Had he finally made full bird? Is that what she was telling him? As she pinned the silver eagle onto his scrubs, John blinked back the tears. How ironic that they should choose to do this right now only a few hours before an operation that could change his life forever. John didn't really know what to say but he murmured. "Thank you. I'm honoured. I didn't expect it."

"Why ever not, Colonel? You have served your country, Atlantis and all of us beyond and above the call of duty. You would have given your life to save Earth last year," Woolsey paused. "I'm only too please we turned up in time to make that sacrifice unnecessary. Once you're better we will have a party to mark the occasion and there are a few other promotions to hand out once you're well enough, but for now I will leave you to rest."

Woolsey left and then Sam said her goodbyes leaving John alone with his team. They hugged him and congratulated him. John tried to put on a smiling face but he really couldn't muster-up too much elation. As his fingers lightly touched the eagle, he wondered if he would get the chance to play the part and he actually managed to smile when he thought, at least he was equal rank to Caldwell now.

tbc.


	18. Chapter 18

Part 18

Rodney took in a lung full of fresh sea air. It felt so good to be outside as it helped clear his muzzy head. He was no good at the waiting game and after eight long hours with still no news, it was getting him down. He just had to get away of awhile, away from the stuffy confines of the infirmary waiting area. So he had just simply left without a word to seek out a quiet place, thankful when no one had followed him.

The view above and beyond Atlantis was magical and although it wasn't often that Rodney bothered to spend time like this he marvelled at the sight. He looked out across the great expanse, thankful they were on water as the sea positively sparkled like a million diamonds in the light of the planet's single moon, which was just rising above the distant horizon. Above a myriad stars shone across the heavens, with no pollution or artificial light to dull them. The planet they had chosen for Atlantis's return to Pegasus was very similar to the previous ones. However, it had a very mild climate and even in their chosen position far north of the equator, the early autumn night was comfortably warm. And just like before they had played it safe and landed on water. Even though at the time Sheppard had been pretty sure he could have landed on solid ground.

Rodney looked to the stars once more. Out there somewhere travelled the ship that had caused all their problems. He vaguely wondered just how many more hapless creatures they would take in future, not realising what they really were or how intelligent. For their sakes, Rodney sincerely hoped the mad alien was no longer in charge of the research.

The swish of the balcony door announced someone's arrival. Rodney didn't turn to see who it was, too afraid in case it was Jennifer with some bad news. The person made their presence known anyway as they came to stand by his side.

A soft Scottish accent told him. "He made it through the surgery. However...," Carson paused far too long for Rodney's liking. He turned abruptly to look at his friend, prompting the doctor to continue. "We removed the implant but the bloody thing was so embedded that we fear removing it may have caused some damage, and then there's a small chance we didn't get it all out..."

Rodney looked horrified. "That is so not good. What do you think the damage will be, Carson?"

The Scot sighed. "I said it might have caused some damage. Obviously there was some bleeding and localised trauma around the attachment point, which could have an effect on his memory. One good thing though, we don't believe the optic nerve was involved so his eyesight shouldn't be impaired. Of course we won't know for sure until the morning. Same goes for any other problems. The only thing is, if we didn't manage to remove the whole bloody thing it could still lead to problems like continuing headaches. We will have to do a further scan to make sure."

Rodney felt apprehensive. He hated being around sick people but he knew he needed to support his friend. John had done it for him on a number of occasions. "I want to be there when he wakes up."

"Aye well then, you'd better get some sleep so you can see him bright and early in the morning."

"Yes, yes, going to my room now." Although how much sleep Rodney could manage with all the worry was questionable.

oOo

The soft murmur of voices woke him. John opened his eyes, totally confused by what he saw. It looked like he'd ended up in the infirmary again. How the hell did that happen?

The murmur of voices got closer and his team came to stand over him. They looked unsure, almost afraid of him. Had he turned into a bug again? Then Keller and Beckett arrived making him wonder just how bad things were if it required two doctors.

"Hallo, Colonel, how are you feeling this morning?" Beckett asked, as he adjusted John's bed into a slightly raised position and gave him a sip of water.

John considered how he felt. He had a headache, a sore throat and a very dry mouth. He also felt a pretty crappy but they didn't need to know that. "I'm good, but why am I here?" He was slurring his words like a drunk on a binge and it had him worried. Hopefully it was just the drugs he was on. Then he noticed the confused and worried glances, so he elaborated a bit more. "Last thing I remember I was flying the jumper on a recon mission to...err...sorry I can't recall the planet's designation." Again there were worried glances even though he'd managed to speak a lot clearer.

Jennifer moved forward with a dreaded light pen in hand. "I just want to examine your eyes then we'll talk." John nodded and kept still while the doctor did the necessary. "Well pupil reaction seems fine. Any blurred vision, headache? "

John was somewhat concerned by her question. "I can see fine. Head hurts a bit though. So what happened?"

"You crashed the jumper." Rodney piped up. If John couldn't remember the horrible events onboard the alien ship then that wasn't such bad an outcome in Rodney's humble opinion.

"I crashed the jumper? Come on, something must have happened to cause that, I'm not in the habit of crashing jumpers."

The team smiled and looked at each other as Teyla decided to tell him. "Do not worry about it, John. We encountered an energy field similar to that on M7G 677. The jumper lost all power and you tried very hard to make a safe landing, which thankfully you did. We were uninjured. However you suffered from a..."

"Severe concussion." Jennifer added for her. It wasn't exactly a lie because from what the team had told her, he probably had suffered some form of head injury as a result of the crash. Only it seemed he no longer had any recollection concerning the alien's or their experiments on him. She just hoped he wouldn't ask about the new scaring on his chest. That wasn't going to be quite so easy to explain. There was the chance that his amnesia was only temporally but in a way she hoped it wasn't. Yes, he would be missing three weeks of his life but from what she'd heard, they were three weeks in hell.

John seemed to accept their explanation concerning his injury. "Did you find the source of the energy field?"

That was Rodney's department. He raked his brain trying to come up with a good explanation. "Well...Teyla may have said it was similar to the force field on the kid's planet but in actual fact it had nothing to do with any ZPM powered, protection field. It...err...we think it could have been caused by a natural element. Haven't really discovered what it is so we've been unable to recover the jumper."

John shifted forward, trying to reach for the drink that had been placed on the night stand. Teyla quickly handed it to him and John took a large gulp before Carson could warn him not to drink too much.

"Thanks. Okay, so as soon as I'm...," John suddenly stopped. "I feel sick. In fact..." He never got another word out as the overwhelming desire to bring back the water hit him. Jennifer quickly held a kidney dish in front of him while everyone else looked away. It wasn't much, just a little water but it felt like his usual reaction to an anaesthetic.

"You're doing very well, Colonel, but we had to operate for a slight bleed." Jennifer quickly added, hoping he would accept the explanation.

John looked concerned. He raised his hand to finger the bandage around his head, hoping they hadn't shaved off all his hair. He answered with a drawn out, okay, but was left with the feeling they weren't telling him the whole truth. He felt annoyed but really didn't feel like pursuing the subject right now. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realised he didn't feel like doing anything other than going back to sleep as a sudden sense of overwhelming drowsiness hit him.

Rodney watched as John's attention began to drift and he also seemed to have forgotten about the missing jumper for now, which Rodney was thankful about as he had no intention of ever going back to that planet, even if it meant losing jumper one. They were going to have to come up with some excuse to convince the colonel that it just wasn't worth the effort.

"So he can't remember the alien ship." Ronon piped up once John was asleep and they had moved far enough away so he couldn't hear them.

"Aye, so it would seem." Carson said. "It could be just a temporally loss, but if that's the only thing he's lost then we can thank our blessings considering the problem we had removing the implant. So it seems he has come through the matter far better than we anticipated."

"You do not believe there will be other problems then?" Teyla asked, hopefully.

"That's hard to say, his eyesight seems fine and he personality seems be to about the same. Although it's too early to say for sure yet, so please look out for anything unusual and report it immediately."

Jennifer agreed. "Whatever happens please don't tell him about the alien encounter or the implant just yet. If he's going to remember then he has to do it on his own. We will of course be doing another scan as soon as possible, which can be explained away as just a routine check-up."

"How are we going to explain his promotion? Is he not going to find that a little strange?"

"My goodness, lass, I'd totally forgotten about that and you're right."

"I'll speak to Woolsey." Rodney piped up. "Maybe we can delay things and have a little ceremony once he's fit enough. There are other promotions he still has to give out including one to Lorne."

"Aye, I hear the lad has made Lieutenant Colonel and will remain on Atlantis as John's XO." There were nods and smiles of approval as Carson continued. "So that's settled then. We'll keep it a secret for now." Everyone agreed before going off to their various duties and activities, expect Teyla as she wanted to stay and watch over John.

oOo

"But you told me to report any unusual behaviour."

"Rodney, I honestly don't think winning chess three times in a row can be classified as unusual behaviour."

McKay looked at Jennifer as they sat across from each other sharing a bowl of tortilla chips with salsa dip. "Yes, yes, but against me? Then he actually apologised."

Jennifer looked surprised. "Are you sure there wasn't anything that may have provoked such a reaction? Like you making a big deal of it." McKay looked away, guilt written all over his face. "Rodney?"

"Okay, during the last game he mentioned the missing jumper again, insisting we go back and try to retrieve it. I attempted to steer him clear of the subject, saying it wasn't possible but you know how stubborn he gets." _Not unlike you. _Jennifer thought. "Anyway, we got into a bit of an argument and when he announced yet another checkmate shortly afterwards, I guess I lost it and sort of accused him of distracting me on purpose. Well it was his third win in a row."

"And that's when he apologised?"

"Depends how you perceive it."

Jennifer knew the crunch line was coming. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I told him he couldn't possibly be as good as me at chess because well...we all know I'm with genius. Then I might have asked if he'd forgotten my genius along with everything else."

Jennifer looked astounded, for a self-claimed genius Rodney could be really dumb at times. "You said that?" Rodney simply nodded. "So what made him apologised?"

"It may not have been an apology as such but he said he was sorry for distracting my brilliant brain away from the game and that he haven't forgotten what a genius I was. Then he may have mentioned something about what else he was supposed to have forgotten and would I mind filling him in."

"Is this your around-about way of telling me you dropped a bomb, Rodney?"

"Oh no, no. No bomb."

When Rodney didn't say anymore, Jennifer prompted. "Well, what did you do then?"

"When I didn't tell him anything, he...he asked where three weeks of his life had gone to and why no one would give him a straight answer."

Jennifer sighed. "I told him he'd been in a coma."

Rodney huffed. "Well, he isn't buying it."

"No, I guess not, he's a very astute man." Jennifer sighed, this time a little louder. "He asked me yesterday about some of the scaring that hasn't fully healed yet. I told him the story we agreed on."

"Yes, well, I bet he didn't buy that one very well either. He asked me if I'd used some blasted nanites on him like I did on Elizabeth because he's been having some very bizarre and realistic dreams concerning aliens that looked a little like Asgard but were blue and much taller. He threatened to throttle me if I had. Of course I flatly denied it, which is the truth."

Jennifer smiled. "Well, at least you didn't have to lie about that one. But it would seem his memory might be returning. If it does, he will need your support."

"What we're talking about Sheppard here. Mister, I can cope with everything, Sheppard."

"Rodney, be there for him just in case."

The scientist nodded. "Yes, yes, I...we will, but he'd better not win at chess again anytime soon."

"Rodney, being a genius isn't all that it takes. The colonel is a military tactician, a very good one."

Rodney looked her in the eye. "Doesn't necessarily follow, Napoleon was rotten at chess."

"Well then, obviously Sheppard has one up on Napoleon."

Rodney had no answer to that. "He's a bit short tempered too."

"So would you be after a major operation and suffering continuing headaches."

"Point taken. And despite doing another scan it still showed no trace of the implant?"

Jennifer nodded but didn't look quite as relieved as Rodney thought she should. "He's getting some pretty bad headaches, which has me concerned. They could be the result of a healing brain or..."

"A minute piece the scanner is failing to register." Rodney finished for her.

Jennifer nodded. "Exactly, and I don't know what that would mean for his long term prospects."

tbc


	19. Chapter 19

Part 19

"I don't care how you feel, McKay, we're going back to that planet to salvage the jumper and that's final!"

"Oh, just because it happens to be your favourite jumper you can't let it rest, can you?"

John frowned at the scientist with an expression of total disbelief. Why the man was making such a fuss about going back to the planet was beyond his comprehension. Yet here he was arguing over the matter yet again. John still had the feeling that Rodney was keeping something from him. They all were, despite their best efforts to act normally around him. Something had happened on the planet, something that had more than likely caused the strange and puzzling scars that covered his body. Although some were slowly disappearing now, those on his chest were still red and plain to see even after nearly seven weeks since the ill-fated mission. They looked suspiciously like operation scars so the doc's explanation about being attacked by an overgrown pussy cat just didn't sit well. He had no recollection of such an animal. However dreams concerning ugly blue aliens continued to plague him and they were definitely not of the Avatar kind. Sometimes a large grotesque purple alien entered his dream leaving John even more puzzled when he woke up covered in sweat and a heart pounding with angst. The dreams usually left the constant ache behind his eyes feeling worse. Headaches that Keller explained were all part of his bad concussion, but after so much time John was beginning to have his doubts.

John had a headache now and it was steadily getting worse, fuelled no doubt by his frustration and annoyance with McKay. "I don't know why the hell you're making such a big deal of this, especially as you won't even give me a good reason for not retrieving it. Puddle jumpers don't grow on trees you know. We've lost far too many over the last year, meaning we can't afford to leave one lying around on some distant planet when you all but confessed it wasn't that badly damaged. And don't give me the mysterious energy field excuse again as you've already admitted that you couldn't find any trace of it. Anyway, Woolsey has given me the go-ahead, so if you don't want to come with us then I'll ask Radek. We'll probably need a good engineer anyway."

Rodney sputtered. "Are you saying I'm not capable of fixing the Jumper?"

John's patience with McKay was wearing very thin. He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling the stubble he hadn't bothered shaving off. A loud sigh escaped his lips. "That's not what I'm saying. I just want you to give me a good reason why you won't go, that's all?"

Rodney wanted to tell him the truth really he did, except Jennifer still insisted that Sheppard needed to remember the events in his own time. Maybe he was being foolish about not wanting to go back, but the planet held far too many bad memories. What if the mad scientist was still around and had laid a trap for them again? It didn't bear thinking about. In the end he came out with the same old lame excuse. "You know, that wild cat could still be around?" Rodney cringed, that sounded really pathetic.

"Thought you liked cats? And if I understood correctly, I was the one attacked by the thing?"

"Yes, yes, it must have sensed your dislike for cats."

John smirked at that. "Yeah, and I sense a tall story when I hear one. So are you coming or not?"

Rodney sighed. Astute, stubborn, just two words to describe the man standing in front of him. Oh there were plenty more, but right now those were the main ones. They were also words that could describe him. However for once, Rodney felt he had to give in. "If you insist, but don't blame me if Simba tries to eat you again."

John looked relieved. Rodney had given in at last so just maybe his headache wouldn't escalate after all. He thought back to the fond memories of watching The Lion King with Torren. Several times, in fact, so it was easy to reply. "For a cat Simba is kind of cute. And I'm still not buying your story."

"Believe what you like." Rodney muttered, as he walked away annoyed with himself for giving in so easily.

oOo

The jumper was exactly how they had left it. Rodney watched as Sheppard walked around the vessel, giving her his critical eye. "Okay, not so bad then, just a few scratches. At least you remembered to close the hatch before leaving."

"What! Of course we closed the hatch. As for the jumper being okay...," Rodney threw Sheppard a pained look and then nearly sniggered. The colonel's hair looked crazier than ever, all spiked up at the back and half shaven at the front. John had tried his hardest to cover the thin patch with hair but it still looked really odd. Yet somehow his good-looking friend got away with it. Rodney quickly coughed to cover his gaffe. "Well it might fly back to the Stargate as long as that energy source doesn't reactivate."

"Exactly! And you wanted to leave my favourite girl behind."

Hah...now you admit it!"

"What's wrong with that? This jumper was the first one I flew. Besides we have valuable equipment and weaponry still onboard. Wouldn't want that to fall into the wrong hands now, would we?"

Rodney had to admit that was true. The Genii and a few others would probably love to get their hands on the stuff. Thankfully there were no Genii around or aliens come to that, but the sooner they were off this planet the better as far as Rodney was concerned. "Then let's get onboard and see what needs to be done, shall we?"

John nodded and lowered the hatch. "Ronon, Teyla, stay outside and alert. You know, keep an eye out in case that ferocious alien pussy cat comes sniffing around again." He followed his words up with a wink.

Ronon nearly chortled but checked himself at the last minute. "Yeah, I think I'll scout around a bit." John nodded.

Teyla remained perfectly composure and serious as she looked directly at him. "Of course we will keep an eye open, Colonel. We would not want you to come under attack again." John gave her a small grin before following McKay into the craft.

It didn't take long for Rodney to announce that he needed about an hour or so to get things up and running again, and would Sheppard please mind getting out of his way and stop interfering. John sighed but did as Rodney requested.

He went outside to get some fresh air, hoping it would help ease his headache. Teyla had moved away a little to stand near an outcrop of bushes. Not the safest of places if that cat really existed, John thought as he came to stand next to her. "You know the worse bit, apart from the torturous pain and terror was the humiliation at being left naked and very exposed. I guess that last bit applied to all of us though."

Teyla turned to look at him, strange that he should be more concerned about being naked than being tortured. However, she didn't pursue the matter as he looked tired and was robbing his forehead yet again. A thing he did quite often these days but she didn't ask about the headache she knew was plaguing him. Quite frankly he looked drawn and quite ill, although he tried very hard to conceal the fact. This was his first trip beyond Atlantis and even though he wasn't officially on duty yet, Keller had felt the change of scenery might help him feel psychologically better, although physically he certainly wasn't up to par.

"When did you remember?" she quietly asked.

John breathed deeply through his nose. "It's been slowly coming back for about two days now. I came to realise my dreams weren't dreams at all but actual memories. Pretty terrifying ones at that." He turned to her with a coy smile. "Don't worry I'm not about to have a meltdown, but believe me there are times when I wish I didn't have the damn ATA gene. It's gotten me into more trouble than I care to think about."

"That may be true but did you not tell me that without the gene would not have been asked to join the expedition?"

John nodded. "At least the aliens left McKay alone. So for once he should be grateful his artificial gene was considered inferior." John looked down at her. "How are you coping?"

"I am fine, John. Do not concern yourself about the state the aliens left us in. I was very discreet about it. I know both Ronon and Rodney had trouble coping with it too, so I kept my eyes diverted whenever possible." John bit his lip to hold back a chuckle, grateful that Teyla wasn't making a big thing of it and could see the humour in the situation. She continued after a small pause. "Being held by those aliens was a very unpleasant experience indeed. However, I am putting it aside and getting on with my life. I hope you can do the same."

John didn't hesitate to answer, giving Teyla some hope that he was coping. "Yeah, that's certainly the way to go. Difficult but necessary for the sake of one's sanity, although I think I'd prefer facing a Wraith queen again before that vicious alien thing."

"I hope you do not have face either again." Teyla replied. She turned away for just a minute to watch a very noisy colourful bird as it flew overhead. When she turned back, John was gone. She couldn't believe it as there had been absolutely nothing to alert her. No movement or sound. Had she been so distracted that she had failed to see him leave? Maybe he had gone to locate Ronon and had not bothered to tell her, but how could he have moved away so quickly and so quietly?

She turned around calling his name out loudly, frantic to locate him. Then she came to her senses, John just wasn't the type to play such a trick on her. He was no longer in the vicinity, he had genuinely vanished. Which only left one conclusion - the aliens had returned.

tbc

_Well, we're getting towards the end now. This chapter was a little on the short side but the next and final chapter will be longer. Thanks for the continuing reviews, please keep them coming._


	20. Chapter 20

Part 20

The aliens had him back on the same unyielding hard surface, it was pressing painfully into his back. John didn't think he'd been laying on it all that long, but he really couldn't recall how he'd got here. Whatever, the situation seemed very familiar and way too terrifying, despite the fact the room they had him in was so unlike the previous one.

The room was really kind of strange. Toned in turquoise and yet somehow it managed to induce a very serene atmosphere, reminding John a little of a Buddhist mediation room he'd once visited in Thailand. However appearances could be deceiving, so when John looked up at the sea of blue alien faces staring down at him, he had great deal of difficulty suppressing his tremors. Although these aliens seemed very different, they somehow lacked malevolence from before and were they trying to smile at him? A disturbing thought as smiles could also mean they still had maniac plans for him in mind.

John continued to scan the faces looking for any purple shading. Nothing seemed to tinge the wall of blue but that didn't reassure him in the slightest as he wondered just how long it would be before the mad researcher made his grand entry. Then the sea suddenly parted and a lone figure, slightly paler in shade, moved to face him. John got his heart back under control when he realised it was just the keeper. The alien opened its mouth and whistled directly at him. However, the sounds meant absolutely nothing to him. A puzzled frown crossed the keeper's face as another alien ran a scanning devise over his forehead. It didn't exactly hurt but the headache he'd had all day went up a notch.

John felt his fear and apprehension shoot up a notch, also. What were they planning to do to him now? More metal discs and implants? Although whatever they intended John was feeling stronger this time around, apart from his damn headache and the odd dizzy spell. So he needed to get up and fight his way out of this right now before things got really out of hand. He reached for his weapon but came up empty handed. So they had his gun and more than likely his knife but at least his hands weren't restrained at the moment and they hadn't stripped him yet. Which was reassuring, although if this was a dream then anything was possible?

No, this wasn't a dream as he could clearly remember speaking to Teyla just before he found himself here. But enough was enough, John wanted out. He struggled to sit up but long bony fingers pinned him down, forcing him to lay still on the unforgiving surface. He began to panic. His heart raced madly as he struggled to free himself from their grip. It ended abruptly with a feeling of pressure against his neck. He wanted to cry out but had no time as his world receded down a tunnel and he felt nothing more.

oOo

Ronon had been scouting in a bid to locate the place where they had first encountered the alien trap. He never found the exact spot and was just returning to the jumper when Rodney's frantic shouts warned him of a problem. He came running up the ramp to see both Teyla and Rodney's terrified faces.

"What's up? Where's Sheppard?"

"We think the aliens may have taken him again." Teyla fell silent after that. Deep in remorse, she wondered just how much more John could take and whether he was gone for good this time. The thought broke her heart.

Rodney was still in full panic mode. "I told him it wasn't safe to come back here but oh no, he just had to walk right back into danger. What are we going to do now?"

Ronon was so unsure. He wasn't good with this stuff, preferring to face the Wraith any day. "We'd better alert Atlantis."

Rodney turned to the controls and fiddled for a few moments before turning back with a stricken look. "Oh no, no, this can't be happening. They're jamming us and the energy field is back. We'll be the next to go."

No one said anything as there was a distinct possibility that Rodney was correct, especially if the maniac researcher was in charge. Three heads turned skywards waiting for a transporter beam that could take them back to hell at any minute.

When nothing happened, Teyla broke the silence to ask. "If they wanted us all together again why did they not take us in the same manner as the first time?"

"Ah...good question. It does look like they used their primitive beaming method to nab Sheppard, which could mean they don't want us at all." McKay looked somewhat relieved by his reasoning.

"Yeah, good news for us but really bad news for Sheppard." Ronon growled.

"Yes...but that doesn't mean they won't still nab us." Rodney pointed out.

Teyla tried to be optimistic even though she felt hopeless. "It has been a little while now since John disappeared. We must believe that they mean us no harm and will return him to us in due course."

The men nodded and Rodney moved back to the controls. "Okay, so in the meantime I'll try to break through their code."

While Rodney worked, Ronon went back to the Stargate. It wasn't all that far off and he reported in a while later to say that it wasn't working either. After that he returned to the jumper to wait it out with the others, feeling very frustrated and angry at not being able to do anything.

Despite his best efforts, Rodney failed to break the jamming code, which proved he wasn't a genius when it came to totally alien technology. That left him with no other option but to go with Ronon to examine the DHD and the Stargate. The Satedan had been correct, they were inexplicably malfunctioning. Meaning even Atlantis would be unable to send a rescue party. The worst case scenario didn't bear thinking about as they could be stuck here for a very long time, although Atlantis should eventually send out of ship to search for them. As they trudged back to the jumper Rodney couldn't help thinking how much he really hated this planet.

oOo

Sat sprawled in the pilot's seat Rodney looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. He had no idea how long it had been since Sheppard's disappearance. It now seemed like hours and probably was. Facing uncertainty and the waiting game yet again, he felt like pulling his hair out but resisted as he had already lost enough. Fear always got to him, making him edgy and solemn. He fiddled with the controls for a minute but ended up staring out of the viewport just for the sake of it because he was totally bored out of his mind and concerned about their situation. Rodney knew the others felt helpless too when even his great intellect couldn't find a solution for them.

As he gazed off into the distance something caught his eye. There was a flash followed by just the slightest hint of blue between the trees. Rodney stared intently for a minute before quickly alerting the others. Fearing the worse, they armed themselves to the teeth and left the jumper to investigate.

oOo

The blue skinned alien made quite a stark contrast against the green bushes as it stood in front of them with its arms laden down by assorted gear and a P90. A moment later another appeared by its side, loaded with yet more of their gear. Teyla thought she recognised their keeper from his paler blue tone as he carefully knelt to place their things on the ground, as did the other.

Then much to the teams' relief, John materialised a few moments later carrying a few more items. He smiled broadly as he approached them. "Am I sure glad to see you guys again." There were nods and smiles all around. Then John turned back to the aliens and spoke to them. "I know you can't understand me but thanks, without your help my team and I would be dead or still in captivity." They bowed their heads as if they understand before disappearing one at a time as quickly as they had appeared.

The team watched for a moment as John gazed off into the distance as if deep in thought before turning back to them. Teyla didn't hesitate as she quickly moved forward to give John a hug even though he didn't like emotional scenes. Her eyes were none too dry when she whispered. "I thought they had taken you for good." John looked over the top of her head at the others trying not to be too embarrassed. He quietly accepted her comfort knowing that she was just relieved to see him again and in truth, after all he'd endured, he needed some comfort too.

When she eventually pulled away Ronon came over to give him a quick bear hug and a slap on the back. "Good to see you back again, buddy."

"Thanks. I guess that's the last we'll see of them. The language barrier was a real pain in the ass though." Ronon gave him a short nod as John handed him his precious blaster. Twirling the gun, the Satedan's face broke out into a huge grin. "Well, obviously someone's pleased to have their weapon back."

Not good with emotional scenes himself, McKay looked irritated that Sheppard hadn't given them an explanation yet. "So what happened in the last...what...," He looked at his watch, still unsure just how much time had passed, "five hours?" he guessed.

"Rodney, give John a chance." Teyla chastised as John turned and smiled at her. The tension that had plagued him for weeks seemed no longer apparent but then she saw a small red mark on his forehead that wasn't there before. It suddenly had her worried. "Is it not best if we return to the jumper, and then you can tell us all about it?" she suggested, now anxious herself for an explanation.

John nodded as he held out a knapsack for McKay to take. "Good idea. Hope you've finished the repairs, Rodney?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Rodney reached over and took the knapsack that he knew should contain his precious laptop. He looked inside, and then suddenly shot off towards the jumper much faster than he normally would have. John shook his head and quickly followed, not wanting McKay to get any bright ideas about flying it home himself.

John needn't have worried as Rodney was ready sitting in the co-pilot's seat by the time he arrived. He was fiddling with his computer, putting in a spare battery unit by the looks of it. "Anxious to get off the planet, McKay?" John asked, loud enough to break Rodney's concentration.

Rodney didn't lift his eyes from his computer. "What? Oh that, yes, yes we're good to go once I've um...done a few things and checked that the Stargate is back online."

John sat himself in the pilot's seat. "They did something to the Stargate?"

Teyla came to sit behind him. "Yes, so we were unable to communicate with Atlantis."

John turned to her and said. "Properly wanted to keep you guys here." He turned back to Rodney who was still fiddling with his laptop. "Worried he may have tampered with it?"

Rodney knew exactly who John meant. "You never know what that moron may have uploaded." Suddenly his laptop didn't seem all that important as realisation struck but he let it run to finish its boot-up anyway. "I take it getting our gear back means the mad alien is no longer in charge?"

"Do you think I would be here if he was?"

Rodney looked a little embarrassed. "No, no, of course not." When John wasn't forth coming, he asked. "Well, what did they want?"

John cleared his throat. "They put me on one of their tables again and knocked me out. I thought that was it, I was a goner for sure. When I eventually came round, they let me rest for a while in a room I vaguely remembered from our previous encounter. Kind of a peaceful place."

"That was the healing room." Teyla supplied.

"Okay, anyway after that they gave me a short explanation before taking me to the transporter room where Nekra and the other were waiting with our missing gear. They went first, and I followed." John grimaced. "Didn't need to be shown twice."

"What do you mean they gave you an explanation? I thought you couldn't talk to them without that attachment thingy?"

"Yeah, that's true. Why don't you open your my document folder?"

Rodney quickly grabbed the laptop as the others moved closer. He noted that there were several new folders and one of the folders seemed to contain a very large amount of data. "What's this then?"

"Everything you want to know about the Zylans and their great expedition to understand life in all its forms. There's also a small selection of their discoveries, although they couldn't fit much on without filling up your hard drive completely." John explained. "I don't know how they managed to get as much onto your computer as they have and amazingly it's all in English, although it doesn't seem to be that grammatically correct. It's sure going to take a while to read but I guess the astrobiology and botany departments will have a heyday. The other folder contains an explanation with regards to our capture and the work done on me. But right now I'll give you a quick run-down. We can talk about the rest later. No doubt Woolsey and the IOA will want a full briefing." John paused for a minute to reach into his breast pocket. "They gave me this before leaving." He handed a small container to McKay, saying, "They took that out of my brain," he said.

Rodney peered at the container. It was made of a clear material that seemed to magnify the minuscule object inside. Rodney could clearly see a sliver of what must have been left of the implant. He simply looked at Teyla, hoping she would give John an explanation.

She gently put her hand on John's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Do you remember being told about an implant in your brain?" she asked.

John thought about for a few seconds. "Yeah. Keller said it was connected to the disc they attached to me."

Teyla and the others nodded. "They had to operate because it was causing you many bad headaches. I believe they had some difficulty removing it, which resulted in your temporary memory loss. Doctor Keller also feared that a small piece may have been left behind."

John nodded. "Well, seems she was right then."

Ronon added. "Yeah, but why did the aliens decide to return and how did they know we would eventually come back?"

"It's all in the file, Chewie." John smiled. "It seems I've been lucky. After the mad researcher died..."

"He's dead?" The team nearly chorused together.

"Yeah, got eaten by some of his own critters. Worms or something. Can't say I'm sorry. Anyway after the commander regained full control of the ship, not only they did find all our missing gear but M'Bek's research data concerning the work he'd done on me. It took them a few days to retrieve it because of the security encryption he'd put in place. It was then that they realised he'd used an illegal implant on me, one that had caused great problems in the past including haemorrhaging, swelling and tumours. Fearing that I wouldn't survive if it wasn't removed correctly they took a gamble and came back to see if we'd turn up again. Fortunately for me, we did."

John patted the controlled panel in front of him. "So coming back to retrieve jumper one probably saved my life. Anyway, the headaches seem to have cleared up at last. You know, they weren't such bad aliens after all, especially Nekra. He helped us quite a lot. Can't say I'm sorry to see them go though and I'm sure I'll still have a few nightmares from time to time." John grimaced. "Talking about going, let's get out of here shall we? After all we have something to celebrate." John winked. "Here's a silver oak leaf I need to pin on Lorne but if anybody makes a fuss about my promotion, then I'm going back to the aliens."

"We wouldn't dream of it, Colonel, full bird, sir." Teyla said formally. "But surely a party would be in order."

"Yeah, a celebratory party will do just fine with plenty of beer and ruus wine." John turned and scowled at McKay. "So what are we waiting for?"

"Just give me a few minutes."

"Rodney, I thought you said we were ready to go?"

McKay put down his computer. He looked slightly harassed. "Well, we are...nearly. I was so worried about you and trying to break their code that I kind of forgot a few things. Won't take long."

John turned to the others and grinned. Teyla drank in the sight of him and knew he would be okay. The Universe seemed intent on throwing all kinds of horrors his way and yes, why they all faced their own fair share, this time John had taken the brunt of it. Sometimes it was to protect his people and sometimes simply because of his gene. Teyla marvelled at his strength and perseverance that's one of the reasons why she loved him. Although she also feared that one day something would come along and he would finally break. She was only thankful that the awful alien researcher hadn't been the one to cause it, but if that should ever happen then she would be there for him. His team would be there for him, of that she was sure. She looked up to see John watching her as if he could read her mind. He wasn't good with words but his smile said it all. John Sheppard loved them and he would cope, at least this time around.

John turned back to the viewport and did a double take. "Are we ready to go McKay?" There was an urgency to John's tone.

"What? Don't start that time pressure thing again. I said I needed a..." Rodney looked up to see John staring intently out of the viewport. "What's the problem? Are the aliens back?"

John pointed. "Your ferocious pussy cat has just turned up."

"No, it can't have! We made that all up to explain the scars."

"Yeah well, take a look for yourself."

Rodney did just that. Expecting to see a vicious lion sized cat he was taken by surprise because not far from the jumper, sitting on a fallen log, was the cutest looking animal you could ever wish to see. About the size of a lynx it had long soft golden fur and large paws but Rodney had no doubt that the cat creature could pack a punch with an impressive set of claws. "Shouldn't we shoo it off before leaving? Wouldn't want it to get caught in the down draft."

"Volunteering McKay?"

"What! No, it looks harmless enough but its claws could be loaded with germs."

John turned to the others and laughed. "Well, I've got enough scars to last a lifetime so I'm not doing it but you know the jumper ain't a jet fighter, Rodney, so it shouldn't get harmed even if it doesn't run off."

"Yes, of course not but..."

Teyla interrupted, she had also been enthralled by the creature. "I am sure it will be fine and I would not wish to ever see such a beautiful animal behind bars. I am only thankful the aliens did not find it."

John looked thoughtful for a minute. "Yeah, I kind of agree with you...don't think I can ever visit a zoo again. It would bring back too many bad memories." They all agreed as John continued to watch the cat lick its face. He preferred dogs but had to admit it was kind of cute.

Rodney announced they were ready to go a few minutes later, so John carefully eased the jumper skywards, please to see the animal run off into the bushes the minute the drive pods engaged. He was taking his team home at last and it felt good.

The End

_I enjoyed writing this story and thanks again for the good response and plentiful reviews. _


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